Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #662

04-02-26 Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #662 is another hour of visionary acoustic improvised music from The Gaea Star Band with Mariam Massaro on vocals, Native flute, Celtic harp, ukulele, acoustic guitar, shruti box and harmonica, Bob Sherwood on piano and vocals and Craig Harris on congas and Native drum. Recorded live at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, Massachusetts in mid-March of 2026, today’s show begins with the reverently peaceful “Golden Maiden Of Peace”, a beautiful Native-influenced, atmospheric piece with a fine vocal and inspired Native flute excursions from Mariam. “Whatever It Takes” jazzy, breathless waltz featuring another touching, penetrating vocal from Mariam and swinging, imaginative piano from Bob and “The Greater Ways Of All” begins as a mystical raga built on Mariam’s shruti box drone and soaring Native flute as it slowly builds into a wide-ranging, innovate composition that skirts jazz and classical to support Mariam’s powerful vocal. “I Only Want To Do What My Soul Loves To” grows slowly out of the previous piece and features Mariam’s chiming Celtic harp, throbbing Native drum, restless classical piano and more powerful poetry from Mariam. “Rays Of Light Following Me” is a gorgeous, restless, gospel-inflected ballad that balances uneasily between major and minor to convey the balance of light and dark. “We Call In The Wind” is a classic invocation from Mariam and today we reinvent it in a new key, swirling and languid, an intoxicating blend of congas, restless, inventive piano, chiming mandolin and an unhurried, contemplative vocal. “The Fragrance Of Life” is a compelling, powerful gospel blues number characterized by Mariam’s full-of-feeling harmonica and the authoritatize plagal cadences of Bob’s piano and we complete today’s show with the beautiful “When You Touch Me”, a sweet 50’s inflected song from Mariam’s “Smooth Sailin’ Love Songs” LP featuring tight work from the ensemble as well as background harmonies from Bob.