Customer Reviews

Blue Incantation

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

this would be one of my desert island cds--its that good. garcia aside, mishra composes beautiful timeless songs. " for julia" and the last track on the album are chilling. "clouds", the ballad w/garcia is one of jerry's finest recorded moments---passionate & emotional--recorded before his death. this is the type of album anyone in the "new age/world" genre wish they could create. its moody, dark, inspirational, melodic, meditative, well-crafted, and sublime without the phony empty musicianship of the kitaro/yanni/tesh world. when u wake up in the morning, put this cd on, sit in a comfortable chair, drink that hot cup o' joe/tea, and be happy that you made this one-of-a-kind purchase.

This CD is a wonderful treat for those who enjoy Traditional Indian music and all of the variations born of that ancient culture. What struck me most (after the delightful solos by both guitarists) was the similarity to SHAKTI with John McLaughlin. Handful of Beauty is the Mclaughlin album I refer you to. Both albums span the spectrum from joyful, dancing frenzy to the sorrowful moaning of spiritual yearning.

What a georgeous album. Mishra weaves elements of eastern and western music together into a cohesive whole. Jerry's guitar is interwoven wonderfully, but I think his greatest contribution is lending his name to this album---I found it while looking for Grateful Dead stuff.

This album's composition is sometimes joyous, sometimes dark. It's moody and sinuous. Some of Garcia's last recordings, the character of the album suggests a transition from one phase to another. A non-traditional rythm section comprised of tablas and frame drum creates an interesting backdrop for Mishra's classical guitar and Garcia's signature style. But this album is more than a showcase for some of Garcia's most unique playing. Anxiously awaiting Mishra's next release...

Stumbled across this album in the Jerry Garcia section of some record store and purchased it on a whim.

All I can say is WOW! Mishra's beautiful juxtaposition of eastern and western influences never ceases to amaze and Garcia's guitar work is a haunting and beautiful elegy in and of itself.

I guarantee that you will not be disappointed with this album! And I encourage people who have been put off by eastern music in the past to give Sanjay Mishra a try!!!

Most artists who are popularized at any given moment in history are vastly overated. Sanjay Mishra... particularly as evidenced in his 'Blue Incantation' album, is not one of those artists. The creative and thoughtful balance of this man's craft will be as fresh tomorrow as any of the known European composers are today.

Seeing that Garcia did few collaborations in the last years of his life, this had to be special-and it is! a very welcome addition for someone hungry for good music.

"Blue Incantation" is a thoughtful, meditative album. Indian guitarist Sanjay Mishra, who moved to the US from Calcutta, blends acoustic music with native percussion and a New Age sensibility. His debut album was also Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia's last. Garcia guests on the songs "Monsoon","Clouds",and "Nocturne/Evening Chant." Garcia was on the verge of some electrifying East-West fusion when he passed away,giving this album a poignant quality.

The opening song,"My meditation" is introspective and melancholy. "For Julia" is a quiet love song. "Passage into dawn" is an eerie threnody. It is musical twilight. Though it is his final album,Garcia's contributions in "Monsoon","Clouds",and "Nocturne/Evening Chant" show him still in fine form. He gives a bluesy,acid rock flavor to Sanjay's Indian acoustic melodies. It's the Indian complement to the Arabic "Blues for Allah." All three songs are instrumentals that wouldn't have been out of place on a Grateful Dead album. "Self Portrait" has Sanjay melding his classical background with Indian sensibilities. "Bach in time" is a marvelous blend of classical Western music with Indian acoustic guitar. Sanjay takes a classical Bach piece and makes it his own.

"Blue Incantation" stands as Jerry Garcia's musical final will&testament,wishing shanti (peace) on humanity. This album is a peaceful,meditative masterpiece.

Sanjay Mishra's "Blue Incantation" is a wonderful album of meditative acoustic Indian music. It's a bittersweet taste of East/ West fusion. Mishra collaborates with Grateful Dead front man, Jerry Garcia, in "Monsoon", "Clouds" and "Nocturne/ Evening Chant." Since this album was Garcia's last, "Blue Incantaion" has a tragic quality to it. It stands as Garcia's musical will and testament, proclaiming shanti (peace) to the earth.

"My meditation" and "Self portrait" are introspective, thoughtful pieces. "Passage into dawn" samples a Hindu chant. "For Julia",originally composed for a soundtrack,is a love song. "Bach in time" in an East/West fusion of Indian and Western classical music. Mishra makes Bach's music into his own,making it timeless. "Monsoon","Clouds" and "Nocturne/ Evening Chant" are Indian acid jams, complete with Garcia's masterful playing. It's as if Blues for Allah had become Blues for Brahma/Vishnu/Shiva. Garcia was on the brink of some powerful Asian explorations;tragically,his premature death cut them short.

"Blue Incantation" is a perfect introduction to fusion music as well as Indian music. Relaxing, meditative, melancholy, it takes one into a timeless realm.

Brilliant guitarwork by two great masters. A lush tapestry of melodic form, this collaboration of Garcia and Mishra produces electrifying results with fluid exchanges of point-counterpoint that can only help but inspire. Mishra's solo tracks showcase his virtuosity and ease in blending Western and Eastern influences into a cohesive and memorable whole. From the lucid "My Meditation" and the danceable "Allegro" to the hauntingly beautiful "For Julia," Mishra never fails to capture the listener with multiple layers of feeling and emotions. Don't miss "Passage Into Dawn," an extended journey deep into the impenetrable ever-shifting sands of the Rajastani desert.