The Library CD Shelf
A Tribute to Jack Hardy
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
www.folkways.si.edu
$21.98 CD / $19.98 download
John Studebaker "Jack" Hardy (1947-2011) was an American singer-songwriter
and playwright; his inspirational work in North American and European folk
music influenced generations, including star talents such as Suzanne Vega a
nd John Gorka. A Tribute to Jack Hardy is a double-CD music album of two do
zen Hardy's songs, covered by wide variety of performers, all in honor of H
ardy's creative imagination, masterful techniques, and unabashed love for h
is craft. A "must-have" for connoisseurs of folk, and Hardy's classic works
in particular, A Tribute to Jack Hardy is especially recommended for publi
c library music CD collections.
Chapters of My Life
Moken
Bantu Records
www.banturecords.com
$16.99 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com
Visual artist, musician, and African-American immigrant Moken presents Chap
ters of My Life, an avante-garde original album grounded in the challenges
he has faced. A fortunate winner of the green card lottery, Moken received
the coveted opportunity to attend a design college in Detroit; yet money wa
s so tight he had to live out of his car. Yet he also formed deep friendshi
ps with Senegalese musicians, and from the depths of hardship he discovered
truth and inspiration. Chapters of My Life is vibrant, emotionally moving,
and highly recommended. The tracks are "Wild Wild Ways", "Maliga", "A Bone
to Grind with Einstein", "A Bato Bam", "The Man that Never Gives Up", "Ma
Masse", "Machine Man", "Walkin Man", "Jerusalem" and "Waiting for the Day".
Hearing Music
Joanna Brouk
The Numero Group
numerogroup.com
$13.99 CD / $15.98 MP3 www.amazon.com
Hearing Music is an album of ambient, new age music by Joanna Brouk, a comp
oser known for her trailblazing electronic and acoustic creations in the 70
's and 80's. Assembling 22 pieces from the span of Brouk's twenty-year care
er, Hearing Music makes some songs that were previously only on rare casset
tes, and some songs from Brouk's archive of unreleased recordings readily a
vailable to the public. Hearing Music is a treasure for connoisseurs, espec
ially those who are interested in the history and evolution of the genre.
Colors in the Diary
Marika Takeuchi
www.marika-takeuchi.com
$15.00 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com
Japanese musician and composer Marika Takeuchi has synesthesia, a rare neur
ological condition that strongly affects one's perception of the world. Tak
euchi sees colors in her mind in response to words and numbers, and hears n
otes in response to witnessing beautiful scenes. She has studied classical
music and composition all her life; her immense talent is showcased in her
latest album Colors in the Diary. An interweaving of piano, cello, and viol
in, Colors in the Diary is a wondrous soundscape, created in memory of time
less moments observing natural beauty; for example, several songs trace the
ir genesis to witnessing frozen rivers and lakes in Norway. Extraordinary a
nd unforgettable, Colors in the Diary is a treasure. The tracks are "Frozen
Lake", "Green Field", "Blue Falls", "White Mountains", "Gray Clouds", "Rem
embrance", "Ocean Wind", "Nostalgia", "Into the Storm", "Sparkling Sky", "C
olorful Mind" and "Morning Light".
Qingxi
DJ Sun
Soular Productions
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/qingxi/id1093319031
$TBA CD / $6.93 MP3 www.amazon.com
Qingxi is an original, instrumental soundtrack inspired by music artist DJ
Sun's quest to learn more about his Chinese ancestor Soon Sam Sin. At the y
oung age of 20, Sam Sin traveled from the Dongguan region of South China to
Suriname, South America in 1858 as an indentured servant. Named for the Ch
inese city that Sam Sin once called home, Qingxi reflects on the lands, peo
ple, and driving motivations behind Sam Sin's transcontinental tribulations
. Intensely beautiful, contemplative, and outreaching, Qingxi is highly rec
ommended. The tracks are "Nature", "Bees", "Chaos", "Shop", "Mystery", "Mac
au", and "Journey." 50 min.
Strange Monsters: A Music & Words Collaboration
Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam and Peter Brewer
bonniejostufflebeam.com
EasyBrewStudio.com
$9.99 CD / $7.99 download www.cdbaby.com
Strange Monsters: A Music & Words Collaboration is a unique hybrid of audio
book anthology and music CD. Each track consists of a brief fiction story (
or poem) set to contemporary jazz music and performed by actors. The tales
meld elements of surreal fantasy and fearful suspense: Rumpelstiltskin's wi
fe is questioned by police over the disappearance of a local boy; a cursed
ballerina who yearns only to dance must deal with an obsessive fan and the
hatefully jealous director of her ballet company; a group of do-nothing fri
ends in love with the same woman discover disturbing skeletons of extinct a
nimals on a treacherous camping trip; and more. Haunting, ethereal, and unf
orgettable, Strange Monsters is music-storytelling fusion experience like n
o other. Highly recommended. The tracks are "The Stink of Horses", "Mrs. St
iltskin", "Skeletons", "No Eyes", "Selected Poems", and "Where You Came Fro
m".
Funk 'n' Feathers
Cha Wa
UPT Music
$12.97 CD / $9.99 download www.cdbaby.com
Funk 'n' Feathers is the debut full-length CD of Mardi Gras Indian funk ban
d Cha Wa. Known for their exciting live performances, Cha Wa kicks it up a
notch with percussive frenzy, joyful vocals, booming bass, alluring guitar
and more. A vibrant balance between Mardi Gras Indian traditional music and
unfettered street funk, Funk 'n' Feathers is a "must" for fans of the genr
e! The tracks are "Injuns, Here They Come" (4:11), "Ooh Na Nay" (3:39), "UP
T" (3:20), "Shallow Water" (5:11), "Jock-A-Mo" (3:47), "Hold 'em Joe" (3:59
), "All on a Mardi Gras Day" (4:13), "Li'l Liza Jane" (4:38), "Tootie Ma" (
4:05), and "Cha Wa Got Fiya" (3:34).
Petal
Avataar
sundarmusic.com
$12.97 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com
Petal is an album that fuses East Indian classical music with jazz, ambient
music, and more. Indian elements include the tabla, a type of Indian drum,
and mesmerizing vocals. An extraordinary, rich sensory cultivation, Petal
is especially recommended for world music collections. The tracks are "Agra
" (6:57), "Banda Aceh (6:58), "Monsoon" (3:48), "The Long Dream" (6:19), "I
nfinite Open" (5:28), "Raudra" (7:29), "Petal (the space betwen)" (5:50), "
Ishwar" (5:45), "Annapoorna" (7:52), and "Petal (ephemerata)" (5:43).
Monistic Theory
Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate
www.joeandsekou.com
Cumbancha
www.cumbancha.com
$11.99 CD / $7.99 MP3 www.amazon.com
Folk/funk/hip-hop musician Joe Driscoll and Guinea-born musician Sekou Kouy
ate have created their second album as a duo, Monistic Theory. Kouyate's sk
ill with the kora (a 21-stringed West African harp) is superbly balanced wi
th Joe Driscoll's guitar in this original showcase of entrancing songs with
stirring vocals. A "must" for world fusion connoisseurs! The tracks are "T
amala" (3:31), "Just Live" (3:39), "Tokira" (4:16), "Monistic Theory" (3:60
), "Batafa" (3:49), "Barra" (4:21), "Rising Tide" (3:34), "Wama" (4:34), "B
adiya" (4:17), and "Master Blaster (Live)" (3:48). Also highly recommended
is the Haitian roots music album "Wa Di Yo" ($11.39 CD / $7.99 MP3), an ext
raordinary expression of courage and hope by the multigenerational collecti
ve group Lakou Mizik.
Cosmic Connections Live
Deva Premal & Miten with Manose
White Swan Records
$16.99 CD www.amazon.com
Cosmic Connections Live is an album recorded live during the 2014-2015 worl
d tour of Deva Premal & Miten with Manose, featuring a glorious concert of
tanpura, keyboard, guitar, wood flute, and dulcet singing. The songs are sp
iritually inspired, and encourage the listener to seek peace through medita
tion and forming bonds. Cosmic Connections Live is a transcendental experie
nce, highly recommended. the tracks are "OM sahana vavtu mantra", "mangalam
", "nam myoho renge kyo mantra", "OM kumara mantra", "rang de""white cloud
white swan", "native son", "audience OM", and bonus studio track "OM mantra
(the cosmic yes)".
Believe
Take 6
http://take6.com
Sono Recording Group
sonorecordinggroup.com
$11.92 CD / $9.49 MP3 www.amazon.com
African-American a cappella group Take 6 has earned an immense reckoning of
prestigious awards, including ten Grammys, ten Dove Awards, a Soul Train m
usic award, induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and much more. Th
eir latest album is Believe, featuring songs about love, grief, hope, and r
emembrance. An absolute "must have" for a cappella connoisseurs, Believe is
a showcase of consummate vocal talent, and includes a guest appearance by
Stevie Wonder. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Beautiful Day", "Reset",
"You Know You're in Love", "When Angels Cry", "here in L.A.", "Walk Away",
"Statistic", "You Make Me Happy", "On Your Side", "Keep the Faith", "You'r
e All I Need", "Song For You", "5 Minutes with God", and "When Angels Cry (
A Cappella)".
Jupiter
Silva
Six Degrees Records
www.slapmusica.com
$9.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 www.amazon.com
Brazilian singer Silva presents his third full-length album Jupiter, a musi
c CD mystical pop drawing elements from bossa nova, R&B, electronica, and h
ip-hop, performed in melodic Portuguese. Hypnotically lilting, Jupiter bala
nces its smooth, resonating vocals with shifting soundscapes, and is a choi
ce pick for world music aficionados. The tracks are "Jupiter", "Sufoco", "E
u sempre quis", "Feliz e ponto", "Io", "Sou desse jeito", "Nas horas", "Se
ela voltar", "Marina", "Deixa eu te falar", and "Noticias".
The Art of Balance
Mighty Mystic
mightymystic.com
$9.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 www.amazon.com
Reggae artist Mighty Mystic (a.k.a. Kevin Holness) presents his third album
The Art of Balance, which draws upon his Jamaican and American roots. The
songs revolve around the central theme of balance, not only in the arts but
in everyday life, whether between laughter and tears or hard work and play
. Free-spirited and adventurous, The Art of Balance is a unique experience
for fans of original reggae, highly recommended. The tracks are "How I Rock
", "Rebels", "Something Bout Mary", "Red Light Girl", "How Many Miles", "Fa
st Car", "Woman", "Easy", "Solid As A Rock", "Boys In Blue", "Only Birds",
"High Grade", "Is Not Gold", "Only the Strong", and "Blackened".
Heart Dance Records
www.heartdancerecords.com
www.amazon.com www.cdbaby.com
Three New Age CDs from Heart Dance Records soothe the spirit and enrich the
psyche, each in its own way. Michelle Qureshi's "Scattering Stars" ($14.99
CD / $9.49 MP3, michellequreshi.com) is an ambient, instrumental album, dr
awing inspiration from Sufi mysticism and the writing sof Rumi and Hafiz. "
Eterna" ($14.99 CD, davidwdonner.com) is the debut solo finger-style guitar
album of David W. Donner, primarily played on the first guitar he ever own
ed - a gift from his grandmother twenty years ago, and the age of its wood
lends a unique quality to Donner's original compositions. Flautist Sherry F
inzer, guitarist Darin Mahoney, and Grammy-nominated percussion artist Will
Clipman combine their talents in "Trialogue" ($14.99 CD / $9.49 MP3, sherr
yfinzer.com, darinmahoney.net, willclipman.com), a soaring soundscape with
a motivating beat that enlivens the imagination and invites the listener to
move with the music. All three soul-stirring creations, highly recommended
especially for connoisseurs.
Saving Cecil's Pride
savingcecilspride.com
RadHaus LLC
12910 Culver Blvd., Suite D, Los Angeles, CA 90066
$18.00 for 3 CD set plus album download
Cecil was a beloved wild lion in Africa, who was shot and killed by a touri
st-hunter. Though Cecil is gone, the quest to preserve Africa's wildlife an
d ecological diversity continues. Cecil's Pride is a grand album anthology
by a wide variety of musicians, created as a fundraiser for the Big Life Fo
undation, a conservation organization working on the ground in Africa to pr
otect wildlife. All profits from sales go to the Big Life Foundation, and t
he purchase price includes both the physical set of 3 CDs and the option to
download the music. The tracks have been created and performed by a grand
variety of artists, and range in nature from ambient to new age, world beat
, experimental, and much more. Saving Cecil's Pride is especially recommend
ed as a superb gift for compassionate connoisseurs of world music!
A Bridge Between
Carbe and Durand
carbeanddurand.com
Strange Tree Productions
$12.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com
A Bridge Between is an extraordinary album by acoustic-guitar duo Carbe and
Durand, a team who have spanned genres from classical to blues, pop, rock-
n-roll, world-fusion, nuevo-flamenco, and more. The songs include three ori
ginal compositions, and acoustic-guitar arrangements of classics from the l
ast half-century. A Bridge Between is a "must-have" for connoisseurs of qua
lity acoustic guitar! The tracks are "A Bridge Between", "Time After Time"
Scarborough Fair", "A Thought For You", "Classical Gas", "Paint It Blac", "
Blackbird", "isn't She Lovely", "Wichita Lineman", "Mountain Song", "Everyb
ody Wants To Rule the World", "Fragile", and "Crazy Train".
Jason Miles Presents: To Grover With Love / Live in Japan
Produced by Jason Miles
Whaling City Sound
1310 Tucker Road, No. Dartmouth, MA 02747
www.whalingcitysound.com
c/o Naxos of America (dist.)
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
www.naxosusa.com
$16.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com
Originally recorded in June of 2010 at Blue Note Tokyo, Jason Miles present
s: To Grover With Love / Live in Japan is an album is a jazz talent showcas
e. Jason Miles plays in honor of the great sax player Grover Washington Jr.
, along with special guest Ralph MacDonald on percussion and Ryan Shaws on
vocal cameo. Rendering Grover's beloved songs with passion and inspiration,
Jason Miles presents: To Grover With Love / Live in Japan is a treasure fo
r jazz connoisseurs. The physical CD includes a collector's booklet with an
introduction by Jason Miles and color photographs (no lyrics, though). The
tracks are "Winelight" (8:14), "Sassy Stew" (5:44), "Take Me There" (7:55)
, "Lorans Dance" (9:43), "Just the Two of Us" (6:26), "Black Frost" (6:56),
"Inner City Blues" (5:43), "Let It Flow" (12:21), and "Mr Magic" (8:37). 7
1 min. 45 sec.
Divine Spark
Natty Nation
iNatty Records
http://nattynation.com
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 www.amazon.com
$10.00 http://nattynation.bandcamp.com
Divine Spark is an album by reggae performers Natty Nation, based in Madiso
n, Wisconsin. Their membership has been fluid since 1995, but their intense
vision of hard roots rock reggae and dub, enriched with elements of soul,
rock, and funk, has become a unique signature. Divine Spark is a "must" for
connoisseurs, though it should be noted that the song "Civil Rights" has e
xplicit lyrics. The tracks are "Balance", "Meditation", "Intimidation", "Su
ffice", "Purpose", "Prophecy", "I'm Willing", "Civil Rights feat. F. Stokes
", "Negus Negast", "Divine Spark", "5th Dimension Dub", and "She Cries Dub"
.
Altered States: Music for the Journey Within
Uma Silbey
www.Umasilbey.com
Airo Audio
$TBA facebook.com/umasilbeyofficial
Altered States: Music for the Journey Within is a New Age keyboard album dr
awing inspiration from the ten scales that comprise traditional Indian raga
s. A deep, thoughtful immersion conducive to meditation and healing, Altere
d States also incorporates acoustic piano, acoustic keyboards, electric key
boards, and synthesized sounds. The soundscape journey incorporates both st
ructure and moments of improvisation. A beautiful reflection of the mysteri
ous, Altered States is highly recommended for New Age music collections. Th
e tracks are "Invitation", "Voices from the Deep", "Morning Embrace", "Moun
tain", "Streaming", "Cloudscapes", "Levitation", "Remembering", "Moonscape"
, "Time Travel", "Destination Infinity", "Lightfield", and "Heartfelt".
Abbar el Hamada
Aziza Brahim
Glitter Beat
www.glitterbeat.com
$11.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com
Abbar el Hamada ("Across the Hamada") is an album by Western Saharan musici
an and activist Aziza Brahim, who was raised in a Saharawi refugee camp in
the Algerian desert, and lived in exile in Cuba and Barcelona for more than
two decades. Brahim speaks to the harsh experience of refugees and migrant
s, in particular condemning the sand fortifications that Morocco created al
ong the Western Saharan border to prevent the return of the Saharawi to the
ir homeland. Elements of traditional African music and the traditions of Ba
rcelona blend in this open and captivating creation; the song titles and ly
rics are in Spanish. Abbar el Hamada is a truly unforgettable listening exp
erience. The tracks are "Buscando la Paz", "Calles de Daijla", "El canto de
la arena" "El was", "La cordillera negra", "Abbar el Hamada", "Baraka", "M
ani", "Intifada", and "Los muros".
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