Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #298

03-15-18  Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #298 was on a cold February afternoon at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, MA and features the Gaea Star Band with Mariam Massaro on vocals, percussion, dulcimer, ukulele, native flutes, harmonica and acoustic guitar, Craig Harris on congas and balaphone and Bob Sherwood on piano.  On the Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour we feature songs by Mariam Massaro and visionary acoustic improvisation and today we begin with the impassioned, elegiac “Standing Our Ground”, a prayer for the planet and honoring our spiritual connection to the Mother Earth.  Next up is Mariam’s driving, powerful “Reborn” a rocking, elemental song here rendered as a meditation on life and mortality driven by Mariam’s acoustic guitar work.  From “Reborn” we move into Mariam’s “Sail Into The Universe” a lush, interdimensional love song from Mariam’s 2012 cd “Smooth Sailing Love Songs”.  An open-hearted folk love song with a strong ‘50’s feel, today’s take is driven by Bob’s over-the-top piano.  Another piece strongly featuring piano dramatics alongside a rock-solid rhythm section of acoustic guitar and congas, “Let’s Grow All Our Medicine” is an assertive and impassioned plea to return to nature’s medicines.  Mariam strums her shimmering dulcimer for today’s last improvisation “Loving, Healing Ways”, a modal rocker carried on Craig’s conga work and Mariam’s steady, jangling dulcimer.  Mariam decorates liberally with harmonica and Bob creates a backdrop of mystery with fundamental, basic modal frameworks.