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World and New Age Music Reviews
by Kathryn Sargent, Editor

     Years ago, Rusty Crutcher's ethereal Machu Picchu Impressions captured my heart in a way that few other recordings have. So, perhaps understandably, I had very high expectations for his newest album, Isle of Avalon: A Pilgrim's Memoir. I was not disappointed. Avalon is a sound journey to Glastonbury, incorporating elements of “Arthurian legend, Celtic mystery and contemplative Christianity” in an exploration of “the creation-centered feminine expression of the Divine.” Inspired by his twelve day vigil in the tiny Chapel of Brigid, a Celtic Goddess who became known as a Christian saint, and his visits to the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey and the Tor of Avalon, Crutcher has created a mystical audioscape that is simply unforgettable. Incorporating Medieval harmonic elements, bird calls and other nature sounds, chanting, tin penny whistles, flutes, keyboards, MIDI synthesizer and on-site environmental recordings with accompaniment by Linda Larkin on Celtic harp and Shawn Sanders on cello, Crutcher's sound portrait of these sacred sites is rich and textural. This music brings a deep peace, a healing energy, an evocation of the powers of nature, that will enrich any healing environment. Treat yourself to Isle of Avalon; you won't be disappointed, either!

     From the soaring, fiery opening track of Karl Jenkins' Adiemus IV: The Eternal Knot, this is music to make your heart pound with excitement. The album is drawn from the six-hour-long soundtrack Jenkins created for the TV series, “The Celts,” which vividly depicts the history, culture and beliefs of this romantic people. The Eternal Knot tells, within each track, the stories of Celtic mythological and historical figures such as Cuchulainn, the wooing of Etain, and St. David. One especially magical and delightful track tells the tale of the “Palace of the Crystal Bridge,” in which a mortal courts an otherworldly beauty, to no avail. The exquisite voice of Miriam Stockley, the soulful Uilleann pipes of renowned piper Davy Spillane, the original compositions of Karl Jenkins, and the whole Adiemus team unite to bring us music of passion, intensity, romance, and spirit. This is music for celebration, for joy, for deep connection to the human spirit. . .an adventure you won't want to miss!

     Even wilder territory is conquered by the incredible acoustic and midi-bagpiper Jose Angel Hevia in his second release, The Other Side. This music goes so far beyond anything I've ever heard before, it's as if it originated on 'the other side' of the universe. With a driving beat, incredibly complex rhythmic piping, fast and modern arrangements, Hevia combines a dizzying combination of cultural influences including the Arab strings of the Prague Symphonic Orchestrabouzouki and the voice of singer Suhail, with Beton pipers from Bagad de Kemper; the howling of wolves with the chanting of Asturian women (like the Bugarian women's choir); a children's choir with the sounds of waves on a shore; Latin marimba with Celtic rhythm, making the term “folk music” sound ridiculously inadequate and “world music” far too staid. This is a wild ride, folks. If you want to try something that challenges all of your musical assumptions, shakes you up, and takes you to a completely different place, take a journey to The Other Side.

     Master percussionist Brian Melick presents his new release, Percussive Voices, a sophisticated collection of world rhythms. Using frame drums, udu drums, the djembe, conga, and found objects, Melick demonstrates an astonishing variety of tones and rhythms. The music is a sensuous, joyful, intelligent, complex, feel-good romp! The title track, “Percussive Voices,” is like wandering into the wizard's workshop itself; itıs teaming with magic and motion with a life of its own. A featured player on recordings by Larry Coryell, John Sebastion, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, Jorma Kaukonen, Pete Seegar, and Livingston Taylor, Brian Melick's music is highly prized by the music therapy and holistic healing communities. His work is used by music therapists, dance and aerobic instructors, and drum circles. Beth McLaughin, of the American Music Therapists Association, said of Melick's music, “There is a sense of total joy and freedom that comes from Brian's playing that stays with the audience for days afterwards.” Melick truly deserves the title “Master Percussionist”; he has to be one of the most inventive, creative drummers of our time.

     If you want to kick-start your heart, check out Untamed: Next Generation Celtic! This is cutting-edge Celtic, featuring four bands from Scotland and Ireland who have “taken Europe by storm with their exciting fusion of old and new, acoustic and electronic.” Shooglenifty, known for its “hypnofolkadelic” sound; Kila's “swirling neo-celtic dance music with a hypnotic percussive undercurrent”; Lunasa's bass-driven grooves; and the Peat Bog Faeries' trance dance; it's a drop-dead combination. A “. . .trippy blend. . . a bit like a jam between the Tannahill Weavers, Phish, and the Chemical Brothers. . .” is the way the Chicago Tribune described Shooglenifty. Billboard proclaims Kila as “. . . positioned to be the biggest thing on the world music scene.” The media is apparently in love with all four bands, and with good reason. This is aggressive, exciting, contagious music, both techno and traditional; it's driving, hammering, delirious dance music. Truly Untamed!

Kathryn Sargent is the (much blessed) editor of Aquarius.