Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #251

02-23-17   Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #251 at Singing Bridge Studio and is dedicated to the peace of the world.  Mariam Massaro, Bob Sherwood and Craig Harris of the Gaea Star Band present several dynamic improvisations and songs by Mariam, with Bob on piano, Craig on congas and balaphone and Mariam on vocals, dulcimer, native flute, acoustic guitar, baritone ukulele and sitar.  Today’s first piece is the driving, concise “We Are All The Same” a song to our universality, a prayer of unity that twists and turns through passages and movements both rocking and minimal and built on an elastic rhythm section of dulcimer, congas and piano.  The band builds to a richly spiritual high point to match the intensity of Mariam’s poetry before easing into the folky “The Power Of Love Will Rise Above”, an expansive, acoustic-guitar based song of hope draped with piano filigree and a pretty, affecting melody.  “Cozy Inside” is a winter blues celebrating the joys of the indoors featuring imaginative ukulele and some interesting surprises.  “May We All Gather Together” is a modal workout featuring ambiguous major/minor twists in true Gaea Star style.  Craig’s intense, accelerating congas drive the band to a rocking plateau featuring lovely visionary poetry from Mariam.  “Ashento From The Stars” finds Mariam painting a mysterious, impressionistic tapestry with native flute and sitar to tell the tale of Shilaya in the forest.  A lush instrumental built around impassioned flute runs from Mariam lead the band into a swirling expansion of the “Gaea Star Goddesses” track “Lotus Queen” called “Lakshmi * Saraswati”.