Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #299

03-22-18  Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #299 at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, MA in February 2018 and is an hour of visionary improv and songs by Mariam Massaro featuring the Gaea Star Band with Mariam on vocals, acoustic guitar, celtic harp, native flute and ukulele, Bob Sherwood on piano and Craig Harris on congas and percussion.  Today’s first piece is the pretty, affecting Hawaiian folk of “Time To Plant The Seeds” featuring a hypnotic ukulele part from Mariam and a slowly building epic piano accompaniment by Bob.  “We Can All Come Home Now” is a stately ballad with dramatic rolling drums from Craig and Mariam’s always-lyrical, expressive native flute.  “Full Sweep” is a hypnotic, soul-inflected ballad with a mesmeric conga and piano pattern that extends and expands and an inspirational lyric from Mariam.  Next up Mariam picks up the acoustic guitar for the energized folk pop of “Bountiful Blessings Bursting Brightly”, a swirling, mysterious piece characterized by Mariam’s soaring melody and deeply evocative piano from Bob.  “Everywhere” is a jazzy, nuanced epic ballad that pulls in elements of gospel and Beatlesque pop and “So Many Ways” is an aching, triumphant improvisation built around a lush, soaring melody from Mariam, both vocally and on her native harp.