Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #230

09-08-16  Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #230 features the Gaea Star Band with Mariam Massaro on vocals, native flute, dulcimer, acoustic guitar and baritone ukulele, Craig Harris on congas and marimba and Bob Sherwood on piano.  Recorded live at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, Massachusetts, today’s installment of songs and improvisation also features Amanda Potluck on vocals.  Today’s first number is the folky, modal “Mary Wellington The Third”, a seafaring tale that features Mariam’s captivating storytelling and driving dulcimer.  “Casting Rays Of Light” is a beautiful ballad to the moon which begins with Mariam’s lovely lyric and vocal along with her acoustic guitar, and gradually adds Craig’s congas, counter vocals from Amanda and piano from Bob, growing into a swirling, mysterious piece with lush, piano-and-vocal driven movements and wide-ranging dynamics.  Next up is “Listen To The Wise Ones”, a dream-made-song with lovely vocal duetting from Mariam and Amanda.  “Where Are We Going” features a reggae feel and beautiful native flute from Mariam and “Into The Depths Of Love” is a stately, reverent ballad with marimba from Craig.  “About The Children” is an activist prayer driven by Mariam and Amanda’s call-and-response vocals and built on Mariam’s ukulele and a relentless piano figure from Bob.  Today’s closer “Angels In My Dream” finds Mariam moving to the celtic harp, laying down clouds and flurries of notes to the accompaniment of Bob’s electronically treated piano and beautiful vocal touches from Amanda.