Sacred Places

Track Listings

1. Great Spirit Makes the Montain

2. Giant's Dance

3. Dreamtime

4. City of Temples

5. Under the Bodhi Tree

6. Heaven Within the Earth

7. Jerusalem Trinity

8. Secret Kingdom

9. Gaia

Sacred Places,Ron Allen,Avalon (Rock Bottom),New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop

Sacred Places

Tracks:

Mystic Traveller
Voices Of Faith
The Stone Warriors
Guardians Of The Rock
Island Of 1000 Temples
Those Who Came Before
The Oasis
Kingdom In The Clouds
Treasure Of The Spirit
Sacred River
As Above

Customer Reviews:

Eh... it's OK........2007-08-04

My first exposure to the music of Chris Spheeris was through Dances with the Muse: WOW! Each song was like a feast for my soul (OK, a little exaggerationg there, but you get the point). So naturally, I wanted more. I listened to the snippets online and thought this CD might be just as good. Nope. I felt like I was trying to reach 5th gear but only got to well.. 2nd.

There are others out there who love it, and to them: glad you bought it. As for me... I no longer own one. I'm going to try his other CDs.

And if you are wondering whether to ignore me or take my comments to heart, I also like "The Best of Amr Diab" by Amr Diab, "Alegria" 'by' Cirque du Soleil, "Choice Languages" by Capercaille, and "Karma" by Delirium.

Amazing CD.......2005-12-12

This CD is awesome! What a mystical experience. Perfect for relaxing to, reading to, doing Tarot to, doing ritual to, or just meditating to! It's going to be hard to find a CD that tops this one.

A treasure for the travel addict.......2001-12-17

As a travel writer, I've been enchanted by the music and spiritual ambience of places outside our normal range of experience in the US. This CD brings back all the mystery of the world's most enigmatic sites, from Kathmandu to Cairo, Spitsbergen to Patagonia, Hanoi to Nuku'alofa, and Jaisalmer to Moorea. It's a treasure.

Cliff.......2000-04-18

Incredible CD. Really. If you want to take an international journey without artificial assistance (except your sound system), this album provides the trip. I was given this album several years ago by someone who doesn't like "new age" music. Yet, I would not classify this work in that category. I have only listened to the soundbites, provided by Amazon, to compare this album with Chris' other works. It is not the same. This is one of the best albums I own. When I am upset, cannot sleep or just need to change the subject in my head's jibberish--it's the only thing that works for me. Thanks Chris.

A mystical experience!.......1998-09-04

This cd ranks very highly as one of Chris' best works to date and receives my highest recommendation! The sounds, both vocal and instrumental, are soothing to the mind as well as the soul. Images of ancient temples will come to mind as you sit back and 'feel' the music.

Average customer rating:

A superb evening of Ives, the best in decades
Something of a disappointment
a wonderful summary
Ives is Ives
The Mood of Time

Ives: An American Journey
Michael Tilson Thomas , Charles Ives , San Francisco Symphony and Chorus , and Thomas Hampson
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Charles Ives: Symphony No. 2 / The Gong on the Hook & Ladder, or Firemen's Parade on Main Street / Tone Roads No. 1 / Hymn: Largo Cantabile, for String Orchestra / Hallowe'en / Central Park in the Dark / The Unanswered Question - Leonard Bernstein / New York Philharmonic
Ives: Symphony No. 2 & Symphony No. 3/Bernstein Discusses Charles Ives
Ives: Holidays Symphony
Ives: The Symphonies / Orchestral Sets 1 & 2
Ives: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-4

ASIN: B00005UED6
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Tracks:

From The Steeples And The Mountains
The Things Our Fathers Loved
The Pond (Remembrance)
Memories
Charlie Rutlage
The Circus Band
The "St. Gaudens" In Boston Common
Putnam's Camp
The Housatonic At Stockbridge
In Flanders Fields
They Are There!
Tom Sails Away
Fugue From Symphony No. 4
Psalm 100
Serenity
General William Booth Enters Into Heaven
The Unanswered Question

Amazon.com

Michael Tilson Thomas is an expert Ivesian. His 1970 recording debut was with Three Places in New England, still available from DG. Here, he redoes the work with the interpolation of a chorus singing the poem on which the last movement, "The Housatonic at Stockbridge," is based--unusual, not as effective as the orchestral version, but fascinating. Tilson Thomas cites Ives's desire for performers to creatively shape his music, and this disc vindicates his editorial liberties by making Ives's surprising music even more unpredictable. The choral contributions are fine, too, but baritone Thomas Hampson steals the show with seven songs that display his empathy with Ives's varied styles and the range of the composer's music, from cowboy songs to touching elegies. The way Hampson bellows a Brooklynese "Coytin" (for "Curtain") at the end of the first song of Memories is worth the price of purchase. Here's a disc to be entertained by, and moved as well. The recording was made at SFS concerts, and we're privileged to share the audience's experience. A must-have for Ivesians and the curious. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A superb evening of Ives, the best in decades.......2005-12-18

Tilson Thomas's PR team should put out a ocntract on me; I rarely express enthusiasm for him. So let me bow especially low to this superlative 1999 concert of Ives as viewed from his most melodic, least revolutionary perspective. This is Ives as recording angel of ice cream socials and Fourth of July parades.

In the Seventies MTT made good but not exceptioanl recordings of Ives's major orchestral works. Here he concentrates on songs and orchestral bits and pieces, except for the extended Three Places in New England, which is x-rayed with exceptionally detailed sonics. Thomas Hampson secures his position as the best singer of American songs with highly dramatized, unbuttoned singing--his Charlie Rutlage, a Texas-accented elegy for a fallen cowpoke, and the familiar General William Booth Enters Into Heaven are instant classics. Chorus and orchestra enter in the spirit of bumptious good cheer, and overall a good time was had by all, even though the crowd was sent home sobered up by the supernaturally melancholy Unanswered Question, which never fails to send a shiver through the listener.

Something of a disappointment.......2004-01-12

I was very much looking forward to the latest Ives recording from Michael Tilson Thomas, whose reputation as an Ives specialist began with his first recording of the Three Pieces in New England, made in 1970 when the conductor was only in his mid-20s. That this disc came some way from living up to my expectations is perhaps due to a combination of over-optimism, uneven performances and what I feel is a less-than-ideal selection of works.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the opening of the disc: a fine performance of the craggy, dissonant brass and percussion work From the Steeples and the Mountains, a highly impressive miniature which swells from its dissonant opening to a climax where sound seems to echo off in all directions. However, I'm less convinced with the rest of the purely-orchestral program: this reading of Ives' classic Three Pieces of New England lacks a little of the gracious flowing lines of Tilsom Thomas' earlier 1970 recording; in addition the experiment of adding a recently-found choral part to the finale merely demonstrates how right the composer was to leave it out. For his extract from the Fourth Symphony, Tilson Thomas chooses the slow movement fugue. I am guessing this choice was to emphasise the "accessible Ives", but this is by far the weakest movement of the work (it was in fact arranged from the first movement of Ives' then 20-year-old First String Quartet), and even a good performance--as here--can't entirely hide up its conservative, almost academic writing. That perennial Ives classic The Unanswered Question, which closes the work, is an infinitely finer work, but unfortunately Tilson Thomas cannot match the transcendence of his own--distinctly slower--Chicago Symphony Orchestra recording from 1986.

The rest of the disc concentrates on various incarnations of Ives' bewildering variety of songs, and as a result comes into partial competition with what is to my mind one of the finest Ives discs around--a recording of selections from the songs and the sets for orchestra with Susan Narucki, Sanford Sylvan and Music/Projects London under Richard Bernas (if you're an Ives fan and don't have this disc, I suggest you rectify this immediately). The songs are extremely uneven in quality--ranging from trivial kitsch to outright masterpieces--and their styles vary just as much.

Most of these songs appear here in orchestral garb, but in three of them Tilson Thomas accompanies Thomas Hampson's baritone on the piano himself. The salon song The Things our Fathers Loved is one of the examples of irreparable kitsch, but rather better is the bipartite Memories which switches from camp to sentimental at its midpoint. In contrast, Tom Sails Away is one of Ives' finest songs, but in this recording its effect is compromised by Tilson Thomas' rather insensitive playing in the piano part.

The Pond (Remembrance)--another of Ives' finest songs--appears here in a version for women's chorus and orchestra. This transcendental homage to the composer's father is in fact much more subtle and rhythmically complex than it appears at first, and it has appeared in a bewildering variety of versions (three of which appear on the Bernas disc mentioned earlier). Similarly restrained in means is John Adams' careful baritone-and-orchestra version of the touching song Serenity: it's well-judged and well-sung here, and Adams avoids the pitfalls that David Del Tredici walks into in his entirely unnecessary orchestration of In Flanders Fields.

By contrast, Charlie Rutlage is an absurdly over-the-top piece of cowboy kitsch that disintegrates into violent discords as the words describe Charlie's death: this voice-and-orchestra version isn't half as good as Sanford Sylvan's voice-and-piano reading on the Bernas disc. Similarly eccentric is The Circus Band, a bizarrely outrageous confection for chorus and orchestra (based on an early orchestral march) that lacks some of the lustre of similar Ives effects. The bizarre Ives is also at work They are There! This near-hysterial rant (not actually as militaristic as it sounds at first) is heard in a chorus-and-orchestral version that lacks something of the sheer outrageousness of Ives' own voice-and-piano recording (even though Tilson Thomas takes an effort to try to copy the style of that reading).

The chorus-and-organ setting of Psalm 100 ("Make a joyful noise unto the Lord") is an intriguing piece of writing that well merits its exposure here, though it can't match General William Booth Enters Into Heaven for sheer unbuttoned craziness. This setting of Vachel Lindsay's poem, heard here in a version for baritone, chorus and orchestra is one of Ives' most endearing creations: its remarkable mix of modernism, bizarre wit and sentimentality, topped off with the sudden introduction of a hymn tune at the climax, is typical of the composer at his best. Unfortunately, this performance misses out on the last edge of hysterical ecstasy that is so necessary for the work to have its full impact (in my opinion it's easier to bring off in the voice-and-piano version).

I realise I am perhaps being overcritical of this disc, but it seems to me that a disc by such a fine Ivesian as Tilson Thomas should be held to a very high standrd. Though I was personally disappointed by this recording, it may well appeal to those who know little of the composer: however, I fear that Ives specialists are likely to be underwhelmed.

a wonderful summary.......2002-12-21

Charles Ives has always been a puzzle to me. From time to time I have listened to his music with a complete lack of resolution. Did I actually like it? Is it just an American marketing phenomena? Would we hear as much of him if he were, say, an Australian composer? I am still totally uncertain, but I love this CD for its variety of styles, variety of forces and general good humour. If you are immediately dismissive of Ives, can I suggest you start with the two songs called 'Memories'? Have a listen to this CD with an open mind - you may not like it all - even most of it - but one thing is certain and that is that this is not run-of-the-mill music.

Ives is Ives.......2002-06-15

I grew up on movie soundtracks and scores from the likes of Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Alex North and others. We have lost many of these composers but not their music they have left us through the years. That's a gift to all of us. I have been slowly looking at "20th century" composers from the "classical" arena to enhance my listening pleasure and my nature or "quest" to always seek out music that I am certain I must have passed over. I discovered Charles Ives after reading up further on Aaron Copland and his foray into many diverse areas of musical composition. One door opens another. Ives' name and compositions seem to have come up frequently. So far Charles Ives' music doesn't have the melodic quality of Copland or many contemporaries yet it does seem to have roots resulting in American musical motifs very strangely orchestrated resulting in some twisted profoundness. What attracts me is how Ives' music almost seems as if it were composed for film. Ives is Ives as I have found out. I enjoy this recording. It is strange, contemplative and definitely esoteric. Abrupt turns abound but that is the strength of Ives.

The Mood of Time.......2002-06-15

This collection of Ives compositions is exceptional. This CD makes for very good listening. I play it when I am alone in the car. The pensive music realy captures the mood of time.

Average customer rating:

Sacred Places
Elektra Women's Choir
Manufacturer: Skylark Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Ave, Ave!: 20th Century Music for Women's Voices
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ASIN: B000J4S47I
Release Date: 2006-10-01

Tracks:

Kyrie 2:28
Gloria 3:03
Sanctus-Benedictus 3:15
Agnus Dei 5:08Psalm Trilogy - Srul Irving Glick
Psalm 92 4:45
Psalm 47 2:50
Psalm 23 4:16
Os Justi 1:47E. Daley(1994)
Durme,Durme 2:23arr. Alice Parker(2001)
Set Me as a Seal 4:08Richard Nance(2002)
Miserere 4:05Eva Ugalde(2003)
I Thank You God 5:20Gwyneth Walker (1998)

Product Description

Elektra Women's Choir unveils an eloquent collection of sacred works for treble voices. The repertoire encompasses contemporary settings by composers from Hungary, Canada, the United States, and Spain. The collection includes György Orbán's 'Mass No.6'; psalm settings by the late Srul Irving Gluck; Eleanor Daly's assured 'Os Justi'; the haunting lullaby 'Durme, Durme' arranged by Alice Parker; the glorious 'Set Me as a Seal' by Richard Nance; Eva Ugalde's dramatic 'Miserere'; and Gwyneth Walker's 'I Thank You God'. This moving collection highlights the very essence of Elektra - complete with transcendent harmonies, thrilling melodies, and the full spectrum of the vocal palette.

The Complete Piano Music of Georges I. Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann (6 CD Boxed Set)

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The Complete Piano Music of Georges I. Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann (6 CD Boxed Set)

Manufacturer: Celestial Harmonies
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

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Gurdjieff's Music for the Movements
Gurdjieff, Tsabropoulos: Chants, Hymns and Dances
Gurdjieff unveiled: an overview and introduction to the teaching (Gurdjieff Related Books)
Gurdjieff
The Fourth Way

ASIN: B000025FU1
Release Date: 1997-07-02

Tracks:

Seekers Of The Truth: Part 1
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 2
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 3
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 4
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 5
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 6
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 7
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 8
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 9
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 10
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 11
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 12
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 13
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 14
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 15
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 16
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 17
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 18
Seekers Of The Truth: Part 19

Tracks:

Hymn From A Great Temple: Hymn 1
Hymn From A Great Temple: Hymn 2
Hymn From A Great Temple: Hymn 3
Hymn From A Great Temple: Hymn 4
Hymn From A Great Temple: Hymn 5
Hymn From A Great Temple: Hymn 6
Hymn From A Great Temple: Hymn 7
Hymn From A Great Temple: Hymn 8
Hymn From A Great Temple: Hymn 9
Rituals Of A Sufi Order: Part 1
Rituals Of A Sufi Order: Part 2
Rituals Of A Sufi Order: Part 3
Rituals Of A Sufi Order: Part 4
Rituals Of A Sufi Order: Part 5
Rituals Of A Sufi Order: Part 6
Rituals Of A Sufi Order: Part 7
Rituals Of A Sufi Order: Part 8
Enneagram

Tracks:

Sacred Hymns: Reading From Sacred Books
Sacred Hymns: Prayer & Despair
Sacred Hymns: Religous Ceremony
Sacred Hymns: Religous Hymn
Sacred Hymns: Orthodox Hymn From Asia
Sacred Hymns: Hymn of Good Friday
Sacred Hymns: Religious Hymn
Sacred Hymns: Prayer Ad Procession
Sacred Hymns: Hymn Of Easter Wednesday
Sacred Hymns: Hymn For Easter Thursday
Sacred Hymns: Hymn To The Creator
Sacred Hymns: Hymn For A Great Temple
Sacred Hymns: Meditation
Sacred Hymns: Holy Affirming Holy Denying. Holy Reconciling
Sacred Hymns: The Story Of The Resurrection Of Christ
Sacred Hymns: Easter Night Procession
Sacred Hymns: Easter Hymn

Tracks:

Journey To Inaccessible Places: Part 1
Journey To Inaccessible Places: Part 2
Journey To Inaccessible Places: Part 3
Journey To Inaccessible Places: Part 4
Journey To Inaccessible Places: Part 5
Journey To Inaccessible Places: Part 6
Journey To Inaccessible Places: Part 7
Journey To Inaccessible Places: Part 8
Journey To Inaccessible Places: Part 9
Reading Of A Sacred Book
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 1
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 2
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 3
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 4
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 5
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 6
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 7
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 8
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 9
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 10
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 11
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 12
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 13
Dances And Chants Of The Seids: Part 14

Tracks:

Movements: 1
Movements: 2
Movements: 3
Movements: 4
Movements: 5
Movements: 6
Movements: 7
Movements: 8
Movements: 9
Movements: 10
Movements: 11
Movements: 12
Movements: 13
Movements: 14
Movements: 15
Movements: 16
Movements: 17
Movements: 18
Movements: 19
Movements: 20
Movements: 21
Movements: 22
Movements: 23
Movements: 24
Movements: 25
Movements: 26
Movements: 27
Movements: 28
Movements: 29
Movements: 30
Movements: 31
Movements: 32
Movements: 33
Movements: 34
Movements: 35
Movements: 36
Movements: 37

Tracks:

Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Song Of The Aisors
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Kurdish Shepherd's Dance
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Song Of The Fisher Woman
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Oriental Song
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Armenian Song
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Greek Melody
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Armenian Melody
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Hindu Melody
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Song Of The Molokans
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Kurdish Song For Two Flutes
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Allegretto
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Tibetan Melody
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Bagpipe Music
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Persian Song
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Oriental Melody
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Kurdish Melody
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Afghan Melody
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Assyrian Women Mourners
Songs And Rhythms From Asia: Tibetan Masked Dance

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Sacred Places
Ron Allen
Manufacturer: Avalon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Dream Catcher

ASIN: 6741802622
Release Date: 1998-05-26

Tracks:

Great Spirit Makes the Montain
Giant's Dance
Dreamtime
City of Temples
Under the Bodhi Tree
Heaven Within the Earth
Jerusalem Trinity
Secret Kingdom
Gaia

Average customer rating:

An Ambient/New Age Piano Masterpiece
consistent excellence
from Solo Piano Publications
Perfection in all regards
Beautiful & Soothing, Mystical America is a "Must Have"!!

Mystical America
Laura Sullivan
Manufacturer: Delvian Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

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Pianoscapes for the Trails of North America
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ASIN: B0002ZI2O4
Release Date: 2004-08-01

Tracks:

Americas Stonehenge
Chaco Canyon
Coral Castle
The Bighorn Medicine Wheel
Tongass Islands
The Serpent Mound
Red Rock Ridge
Pictograph Cave
The Heavener Runestone
Sedona
Hawaiian Islands
Mt. Shasta

Album Description

"Mystical America" brings the magic of North America to the ear through the soul. This successful exploration takes the listener through a series of moving encounters with a perfect selection of some of the most sacred and enchanting places in North America, including Chaco Canyon, Mt. Shasta, Sedona, the Hawaiian Islands and Red Rock Ridge. Laura Sullivan will be a featured artist in a new TV show called "Music Across America" produced by legendary musician and 2004 Grammy nominee Stanley Clarke.

Customer Reviews:

An Ambient/New Age Piano Masterpiece .......2005-04-15

Laura Sullivan is a pianist focusing on the New Age/Ambient style of music. Her latest release Mystical America is a classic example of modern New Age composition and Ambient styling and exhibits her prowess as a pianist to the fullest.

In the tradition of the great New Age piano masters, this CD showcases her piano skills blended with harmonizing instrumentation and orchestration. All but one of the tracks are her own compositions, the exception being an arrangement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. The focus is the inspiration found in the American landscape. The CD is divided into four sections, each containing three compositions or a trilogy. Total play time is 1:07

The first trilogy is entitled Magical Creations, and the individual songs focus on Mystery Hill in Salem, MA, and is entitled America's Stonehenge, Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, and Coral Castle in Florida. All three compositions are classical in composition and arrangement, each orchestrated with accompanying strings, producing some very rich and outstanding soundscapes.

The second trilogy focuses on Sacred Symbols. The first track is Bighorn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming, then Tongrass Island in Alaska and finally The Serpent Mound in Ohio. There is a slight change up to the music here, beginning with a more "spacey" introduction or feel to the compositions, and having a lighter, more airy or spiritual feel overall. Again, each composition is outstanding on its own, but the idea of a "trilogy" remains in the connection of the style of each piece.

The third trilogy is entitled Mysterious Messages, and this group focuses on Red Rock Ridge in Minnesota, Pictograph Cave in Montana and The Heavener Runestone in Oklahoma. The compositions appear to be a bit more deliberate, more on the brooding side, creating a darker note to these pieces. This serves to accent the mysterious quality the artist was seeking to achieve, and presents a contrast to the rest of the compositions.

The final set is called Nature's Splendor and focuses on Sedona, Arizona, the Hawaiian Islands and Mt. Shasta in California, Ms. Sullivan's home state. The music turns to deeper and more complex in style and composition. While Sedona is totally piano with no accompaniment, Hawaiian Islands plays strongly to an electronica backfill effects. Mt. Shasta is the Beethoven piece, arranged by Ms. Sullivan and expertly orchestrated. The piece is played with a deliberate pace; giving us a presence that comes with the years Ms. Sullivan lived near this American landmark.

Ms. Sullivan's works are deep, rich, on par with the masters of New Age piano of this style, such as David Lanz or Michael Gettel. Her compositions are complex but not overbearing, and the feel of the material achieves the New Age music standard, to be present, and when focused on, to be fulfilling and enjoyable without being intrusive or arrogant. It should have a soothing effect and sometimes meditative. Ms. Sullivan achieves all this with ease.

This CD has been named #1 New Age recording of 2004, and has been a top pick by many trade publications, Ambient music shows and reviewers. She deserves such honors for this work. This is a first class production from start to finish and will not disappoint the average listener nor the seasoned professional.

A few notes on presentation. The CD contains an insert explaining the artist's view of the locations she has chosen to focus on in her music, which adds insight to the pieces. Also included is a small package of desert sage incense, which is just as rich and relaxing as the music itself. The cover artwork by Johanna Pieterman is also a plus and well worth mentioning. The overall presentation of this CD makes it an excellent work of art.

If you are a lover of piano works, Laura Sullivan is not to be missed. This CD is well worth the accolades it has received so far, and is an excellent introduction of Ms. Sullivan and her work if you have never heard of her before. Be assured that you will be hearing more of her as time goes on, as quality of this kind will not go unnoticed. mafoster

consistent excellence.......2005-03-04

Why doesn't Laura Sullivan's album "Mystical America" receive wider recognition? It is absolutely outstanding. The liner notes are wonderful and the music is top notch. I first heard "Sedona" on the radio and knew that it was a CD that I would like. The CD exceeds my expectations which were high. Every song is enjoyable to listen to and I keep checking to see which one is on because I like it so much. Each song is well crafted and performed. Liz Story's "Solid Colors" was always one of my favorite female piano albums but has taken second place behind "Mystical America". This is a very highly recommended CD.

from Solo Piano Publications.......2005-01-25

"Mystical America" is pianist Laura Sullivan's most uniquely beautiful work to date. Inspired by the wonder and mystery of various sacred and magical sites around the country, the music is peaceful and soothing, but provides plenty of substance to think about, enjoy, and dream. All of the tracks feature Sullivan's elegant and graceful piano, and others include guitar, keyboards, strings, and flute. Chris Camozzi, Scott Fuller, Mary Pitchford, and Diane Grubbe contributed their considerable instrumental talents to the project, and Camozzi also produced and arranged the CD. The twelve tracks are grouped into four sets of three pieces: Magical Creations, Sacred Symbols, Mysterious Messages, and Nature's Splendor, and the liner notes take us on a fascinating tour with a knowledgeable guide. All of the pieces are original compositions with the exception of "Mt. Shasta," which is a gorgeous arrangement of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" (Sullivan has included a favorite classical piece on each of her albums). The CD also includes a packet of hand-dipped desert sage incense to intensify the experience.

The first of the "Magical Creations" is "America's Stonehenge," which comes from Mystery Hill in Salem, Massachusetts. A duet for piano and violin, the piece is both mysterious and lighthearted - an odd combination that works beautifully. "Chaco Canyon" comes from a complex in northwestern New Mexico that was the main ceremonial center for an ancient people. Acoustic guitar and piano with some keyboard washes paint a tranquil scene. Part of the complex is a series of roads that go out from the structures in a series of straight lines that extend for miles into the desert. Thought to represent the out-of-body spirit travel of the shamans, the music has a floating quality that conveys peace and wide-open space. "The Serpent Mound" (Ohio) is subtitled "Celestial Harmony." Ambient sounds enhance the gentle warmth of the piano, creating a delicate and serene soundscape. The "Mysterious Messages" pieces all have a light yet haunting quality. They are melodic, but somewhat less structured, and shimmer with gentle elegance - I especially like "The Heavener Runestone." My favorite set is "Nature's Splendor." "Red Rock Country" (Arizona), subtitled "Scent of Desert Sage," is a piano solo with a lovely rolling left hand and a sweet, simple melody. I had the pleasure of hearing Ms Sullivan play this piece on my piano at the Whisperings concert last summer, and it was hypnotic. My favorite track is "Hawaiian Islands: Born of Fire." A bit different from the rest of the album with its upbeat tempo, I really like the energy on this one! The closing track is a gorgeous arrangement of "Moonlight Sonata," a tribute to the majesty and beauty of Mount Shasta in California. Sullivan's piano is faithful to Beethoven's original, with subtle and poignant keyboard accompaniment added.

Laura Sullivan keeps growing and surpassing herself with each new release. "Mystical America" is a marvelous artistic achievement, and should be a treasure in anyone's music collection. Very strongly recommended!

Perfection in all regards.......2004-12-08

Seldom do all elements of a recording come together so seamlessly as they do with Laura Sullivan's Mystical America. From the liner notes to the cover graphics to the expert engineering to finally the exquisite music, this is a CD that sits at the top of this year's releases in the category of quiet contemplative instrumental recordings. Blending her melodic piano with perfectly executed synthesizer and acoustic instrument accompaniment, Sullivan achieves musical magic on this album, infusing a true sense of majesty and mysticism in the tone poems inspired by these special places in America. If you only buy one new age music CD this year, you'll be sorry if this is not the one you choose. I couldn't recommend the album more highly. Simply put, this is a masterpiece of serenity and beauty.

Beautiful & Soothing, Mystical America is a "Must Have"!!.......2004-10-18

Laura's incredible talent & passionate piano playing amazed me again with her second cd, Mystical America. I am entranced every time I listen, and I love the sage incense that was included, what a neat idea!

Average customer rating:

sacred jouney
Excellent Album
My soul sang

Sacred Journey
Charlie Wayne Watson
Manufacturer: Desert Winds Productions
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00006ISFY
Release Date: 2001-01-15

Tracks:

The Long Walk
Contentment
Eagles Hunt
Fire Dancers
Reflections
Deep River
Mocking Bird Dance
Desert Winds
Old One Speaks
Spirits Calming
Leaves Falling
Young Love
Gentle Stream
Crying Child
Wolf Dreaming
Displacement

Album Description

Through the haunting and soothing power of Native American Flutes, drums and special effects, Sacred Journey is an incredible, magical experience and indeed a journey for the human spirit. Transporting one to places of the Native American Heart. This hour-long compilation of Native Flute Music, coupled with the sounds of Mother Earth, transcends you and your imagination away to distant places and times gone by. Stay as long as you like.

Customer Reviews:

sacred jouney .......2006-07-11

Sacred jouney, is one of my favorites, the calmness it brings, and hearing it brings the spirt to a place, just about anything can be delt with. Charlie Wayne again continues to be a national treasure of the Native American People.

Excellent Album.......2005-10-04

First of all i am native american, and when I heard this album I was so amazed. You just sit back and let the music take yo away to another place another world. My father a long time ago told me that my animal spirit will help me along my journey in life and he has in many ways. And now on another journey I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This helps me to relax and to maintain calmness. There is nothing I can say negative about it.

My soul sang.......2003-01-03

I loved this CD it actually made my soul sing, the Native american flute just puts me in mind that there is a little piece of heaven here on earth I hope he keeps exploring this area of his music.

Average customer rating:

Sacred Places in Israel
Igor Pasternak
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000FTB82U
Release Date: 2005-12-27

Tracks:

Negev
Mount Sinai
Masada
Dead Sea
Jerusalem
Hebron
Temple Mount

Average customer rating:

funky, all natural soul poetry

Blood Links & Sacred Places
Eugene B. Redmond
Manufacturer: Locust
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Spoken Word | Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | R&B | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00006JSDM
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Tracks:

Introduction
Epigrams for My Father
Invasion of the Noise
River of Bones and Flesh and Blood
Edge of Myself
Angel of Mercy
Sacred Place
Hummin', Hookin' and Cookin'
Request
Sun Ritual
All Athighed in Black
Itch-Song

Customer Reviews:

funky, all natural soul poetry.......2002-09-09

This is a totally obscure must from the 70s that's sure to please even the most cynical music lover who insists on their soul jazz without words and their poetry without music. This is easily one of my favorite new reissues. A friendlier amiri baraka? Sure. Eugene is mellow, sensuous, funny and the whole live-in-the studio vibe gives this a great uplifting and natural vibe. The tracks range from covering the politics of the time (this one tune on Angela Davis is a killer!), loss and celebration. Way to go IKEF.

Average customer rating:

Sacred Places

Manufacturer: Damon Foreman
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CAE9M8
Release Date: 2001-01-02

Pop Music: