Companions of the Crimson Color

DOA, Do'ah | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 22, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Philo Records
• ASIN: B0000003X4
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,012 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Companions Of The Crimson Coloured Arc (Part I)

2. Companions Of The Crimson Coloured Arc (Part II)

3. In Prase And Gratitude

4. Refresh And Gladden My Spirit

5. Tribute

6. Dawning Place

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music composition moods of life-affirming spiritedness., April 6, 1999

By 

Dean FH Macy "Dead FH Macy" (Peterborough, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Companions of the Crimson Color (Audio CD)

Founded in 1974 as a duo by Ken LaRoche, Do'a was one of the first "New Age" music groups. This 1984 album finds them expanded to five pieces, and, as always, blending rich and varied influences from around the world into a unique cross-cultured experience with an appeal to jazz, folk, and new age audiences.

The music has an improvisational/compositional mood of life-affirming spiritedness. It is both seductive and robust weaving a tapestry of tonal structure that wraps the listener in a cocoon of sound.

Ken LaRoche, who did the arrangements for this album, is a master musician who can flawlessly play 168 different instruments. In this album he plays the concert and alto flutes, piano, oberheim, OB-XA synthesizer, c-soprano saxophone, nyunga nyunga mbira, nbira dzavadzimu, ocarina, percussion, and Chinese reed flute.

I recommend this album and any of the other 11 Do'a albums to discriminating listeners.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Do'a, January 16, 2005

By 

didgeridoo head (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Companions of the Crimson Color (Audio CD)

Being a fan of world music I was drawn to the sound that escaped from this album out of my stereo speakers. Yet, it is unlike most of the 'world music' I own. It is an ecelctic offering, full of shifting melodies, and unusual rhythms. In particular, the soprano saxophone, mixed with African percussion, made my head spin for a while. Clearly these people know how to play, and overall this is a cool album. A couple of the songs don't quite meet the standard, but tracks 2, 3, and 5 are all class.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this music, November 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Companions of the Crimson Color (Audio CD)

I've been listening to Do'a's music for over 20 years now, and still find it immensely rewarding. This is music of great originality, optimistic spirit, and surprising range and depth. Companions is one of their best albums (I rate it alongside World Dance), and is a great introduction to their music.

Do'a has sometimes been called a New Age group, which is probably true, except their music is more "classical" in construction and more directed than most music we call "New Age." It might more accurately be called World Music, not in the sense of being from some other place, but in being an authentic attempt to make music using the widest range of global instruments and musical ideas.

Do'a might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're a person who just plain enjoys music in all its varied forms (like me), you're probably going to enjoy this disc a lot, and will find yourself listening to it many times.