Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #262

05-18-17  Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #262 was taped at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, Massachusetts and features songs by Mariam Massaro and improvisations from the Gaea Star Band with Mariam on vocals, native flute, sitar, acoustic guitar and ukelele, Craig Harris on congas and balaphone, Bob Sherwood on piano and special guest Chris O’Connell playing Tibetan bowl on “Preservation Of The Ancient Ways”.  We begin today with the swinging blues folk of “Symphony Of Spring” a celebration of winters’ end, light hearted and jazzy and featuring unbridled blues eighty-eights from Bob.  “Ode To The Toads” expresses gratitude for nature with a gorgeous progressive rock groove and an impassioned vocal from Mariam.  Sheets of electronically treated piano usher in the hypnotic “Finding Sweet Sweet Sounds”, a minimalist, sensual piece with poetry from Mariam in praise of creative solitude with a funky rhythm section of acoustic guitar, congas and piano.  A climactic chorus section yields to the second movement “Reign It Back”, a lush series of classical passages decorated with native flute, thumb piano and vocals from Mariam.  Beautiful, busy and ornate, the gorgeous “Reign It Back” is the soundtrack for a series of dreams from Mariam. The final movement “Into A Sea Of Love” is impassioned and filled with a beautiful pathos, grooving gently to Craig’s congas and Mariam’s kalimba until it vanishes in a quick series of strange, disquieting piano figures.  Mariam sits at her sitar for “Preservation of the Ancient Ways”, Bob plays the 12-string acoustic guitar and we bring in Chris O’Connell for the singing bowl.  A hip, raga-rock opening section gradually falls away to a hypnotic prayer with lush, visionary vocals from Mariam.