04-08-21 Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #437 is an hour of visionary acoustic improv music played by the Gaea Star Band with Mariam Massaro on vocals, Native flute, shruti box, acoustic guitar, ukulele and celtic harp, Bob Sherwood on piano and Craig Harris on congas and Native drum. Recorded live in late March of 2021 at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, Massachusetts, today’s show begins with a drifting, lilting promise of Spring led by Mariam’s ethereal celtic harp, the meditative “Spring Has Sprung”. Mariam leads the band into “Place Of Peace” with her strumming ukulele and we built a faintly Eastern sounding folk raga with imaginative vocals from Mariam and a steady, syncopated rhythm from Bob and Craig. “Stand So Strong” digs deeper into the Indian tradition with a drifting, mysterious soundscape and a meditative lyric from Mariam over her droning shruti box. Bob gradually introduces a dramatic, compelling piano figure that adorns throughout in the minimalist style. We shift without pause into an even deeper, more dramatic mode with the driving, mystical “Going Home To The Beauty”. “There Are Many Ways” is a beautiful, prayerful hymn with an affecting lyric from Mariam and excellent, imaginative accompaniment from all the players as Mariam creates the heartbeat with her acoustic guitar. The piece gathers slowly in intensity and variety and drives to a dramatic climax. We finish today with a lovely, gentle, waltz-time rendition of Mariam’s environmental anthem “Restore”.
Learn more about Mariam here: http://www.mariammassaro.com
