Music & More
by Mark Maxwell Abushady • New York City

CDs

Kirtana
Robert Gass & On Wings of Song
Spring Hill Music
www.springhillmedia.com
Acquainted with Robert Gass through the outstanding “Chant” double album he produced a number of years ago, I was pleased to review his fine new offering. Featuring daughter Danya River on lead vocals, the seven Sanskrit chants are beautifully and appropriately accompanied with a variety of “world instruments.” The harmonies, at times modern but, I daresay, universally appealing, held me in awe at times. Kirtan, it is explained, is a particular style of Indian devotional chanting. I look forward to listening to this again and again!

Night Wheel
A Collection of International Lullabies to Benefit the Children of Tibet
Michael Barry & Friends
Laughing Buddha Records
www.laughingbuddhamusic.com
Michael Barry notes that, generally,
lullabies try to create a feeling of peace and gentle motion. His goal was to create an album that does this, while holding interest for adults. He certainly succeeded in this incredibly varied collection of
lullabies from Tibet, Ireland, South Africa, Japan, the United States, and other countries. A pleasant, clean guitar sound, augmented at different times with Mandolin, Viola, Flute and Cello, characterizes this album. An offering many progressive parents will appreciate and, as half the net proceeds from this CD will be donated to Tibet Aid’s Precious Seeds Fund (benefiting orphaned, destitute and impoverished Tibetan children), this album’s impact will be felt beyond the bedrooms of our little ones.

State of Grace III
State of Grace
www.kochrecords.com
While not having heard the previous two albums in this series, I can say this third album by Paul Schwartz stands well on its own. Pop, classical, rock, spiritual – mix them up and come to State of Grace . . . a full string orchestra, choir, guitars, piano, drums, the pleasant voice of Lisbeth Scott and, on one cut, a personal favorite singer, Rebecca Luker, flesh out an album that is an extraordinary undertaking. At times epic, at others intimate, the names of the cuts – Christe Redemptor, Agnus Dei, Listen, Soledad – give one an idea of the direction of the album before the first sound is heard. Agnus Dei is magnificent; . . . et lux perpetua cinematically glorious. Interspersed with art song quality pieces, State of Grace III will please many.

RaRe Elements
(Remixes by various artists)
Ustad Sultan Kahn
www.soundstrue.com
Six remix artists – Joe Claussell, Thievery Corporation, Radar One, Nikodemus & Osiris, Brainpolluter, and Ralphi Rosario – take on works by Ustad Sultan Kahn. Ustad is considered a master of the sarangi, a
traditional stringed instrument of India whose sound is said to resemble the human voice. Smooth, jazzy, trance-y, Middle Eastern and Indian rhythms and vibes imbue this collection. Some cuts, like Thievery’s Tarana bring about a feeling of dreamy intoxication, while others, such as Ralphi Rosario’s especially fantastic remix of Maula could very well take the club scene by storm, challenging you to sit still while listening. A superb offering!

Someday Peace Love & Freedom
Nhojj
www.nhojj.com
Guyana-born Nhojj wrote, produced and sings all of the material on this album which, along with his smooth, mellow vocals and arrangements, has a social conscience. Described in the artist’s biography as “a reggae-inspired conversation on politics, religion and social injustice,” his style goes beyond the strict reggae rhythms, and comparisons to Marvin Gaye, Tracy Chapman, Sade, Bobby McFerrin and Stevie Wonder are well founded. To say Nhojj has a pleasant voice is an understatement – his vocals are transcendent.

Film

How to Know God
Based on the book by Deepak Chopra
Directed by Ron Frank / 20th Century Fox
www.chopra.com
“Chaos is what you see when you can’t see far enough.” In How to Know God, Deepak Chopra’s film version of his ambitiously titled book by the same name, Mr. Chopra tries to expand our vision to include possibilities and theories we might not have previously considered. Taking on ‘the big questions,’ starting with whether there even is a God, he explores different manifestations of God through various cultures; most notably, Ancient Egypt and India. Faced with the reality of physical death through his medical training, the question ‘what happens to the soul?’ took on an immediate importance to his own journey.
“What if, on death, it’s not the soul that leaves the body, but the body that leaves the soul?” Beginning with an exploration of ancient masters, references from the Bible, Hindu traditions, Ancient Egyptian beliefs, and Greek mythology, the film does not so much give answers but rather challenges one to think, to explore, to open. To help us do this, we are also presented with a vast array of data from the worlds of physics and quantum physics, medicine, anatomy, neurology, astrology, metaphysical disciplines and others in the widely varying detail one could only expect when trying to encompass such vast amounts of information in a 68- minute film. An appropriate soundtrack and some good visuals round out this offering which could provide a great springboard for further thought and dialogue.

Mark Maxwell Abushady is an actor, singer, designer and photographer based in New York City.