Customer Reviews

Healing the Divide: A Concert for Peace and Reconciliation

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This is great. Where else can you get chanting monks, Ravi Shankar's daughter, Nakai, and Tom Waits all rolled into one? Philip Glass has also been a fav since Kayaanisquatsi AND help others with the profits? Seemed a no-brainer.

As I began playing this CD, I was immediately struck by the crystal clarity and depth of sound, even in the introductions by Gere and the Dalai Lama; however, the sound was not natural but obviously amplified, with distant microphones, treble dominance, and hall echo. The listener seems to be at the balcony. This is easily forgiven because what follows are extraordinary sets of music by extraordinary artists. After a brief invocation by the Gyuto monks, Anouska Shankar, whose technique is a marvel and whose interpretative skills continue to mature rapidly, performs a gem. Then we have a peaceful duet by Tibetan and Amer-Indian flutists, but in this instance Nawang Khechong eschews his usual instrument at first for a monastery long trumpet and recitation to accompany Carlos Nakai's flute. In what I think is the best work of the CD, The Gambia, Philip Glass's keyboard and Foday Musa Suso's kora provide a most interesting sonic mixture and a beautifully crafted composition. The listener will certainly long to hear more of these masters in duet. The remainder of the concert features Tom Waits, whose gravel-throated, dramatic singing is accompanied by the Kronos Quartet and bassist Greg Cohen, whose arrangements match the wit of the lyrics. Waits also provides some humorous comments. The fact that sale of the CD will provide funds for medical care of Tibetan monks and nuns in India made my purchase even more worthwhile. The enclosed booklet includes some rather nice photographic portraits of the performers.

I just got this CD, and it's one of the best I've heard in a long time. A wonderful sample of world music, and Tom Waits playing with Kronos Quartet is just about the best in american music today.

This is an eclectic array of soothing sounds and music. It touches on all the senses.