Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour with Mariam Massaro: #578

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #578 is an hour of expansive, evocative, visionary acoustic improvised music played by the Gaea Star Band with Mariam Massaro on vocals, Native flute, acoustic guitar, shruti box, mandolin, nylon string guitar and ukulele, Bob Sherwood on piano and Craig Harris on Native drum and congas.  Recorded live at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, Massachusetts in June 2024, today’s show begins with the staid, whispering, lovely “Roses” before sliding smoothly into the hushed raga “Deep Down”, a pretty piece with imaginative piano over Mariam’s shruti box drone that slowly expands into a powerful, melodic coda.  “Come Along” is a pretty, open, harmonically innovative piece featuring powerful vocals and Native flute from Mariam and clever chord clusters from Bob and “Peace Prevailing” is a mysterious, minor folk song built upon Mariam’s clear, open ukulele and Craig’s tightly defined congas.  “Life Holds Us In An Embrace” has the imprimatur of ancient British Isles folk music harmonically and sonically with Mariam’s chiming mandolin and Bob’s obsessive ostinato.  “Gathering In The Forces Of Love” is a beautiful, mysterious drone piece given variety and contrast with Mariam’s sweeping melody and Bob’s imaginative piano directions and “River Flowing By” is a widescreen, spacious piece that begins with a trademark Native flute fanfare over Native drum until electronically treated piano enters and supports a powerful duet between Mariam’s lilting melody and Native flute work.  Today’s show concludes with the Verdian gospel song “Sing Down The Walls” from Mariam’s “Gaea Star Crystal” album from 2009.

Learn more about Mariam here: http://www.mariammassaro.com