Customer Reviews

Invoking the Muse

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Invoking the Muse" by Layne Redmond is her greatest work yet! Being a student of persussion and specifically frame drumming, I was excited when this work came out. Little did I know how transformative it was going to be for me. The first time I sat down to listen to the CD I thought that I was going to be listening to "just a drumming" CD and maybe I could pick up some new rhythms. Little did I know that nine songs later I would be transformed into another realm. This CD is more than "drumming". Layne uses drumming as a foundation with bells, violins, and incredible beautiful vocals to create some of the most heartfelt, mystical, and transformative music of our times. As you listen to each of the nine hymns to the muse you will transcend to another level of consciousness, and by the time you get to the ninth song you will be totally expanded into another reality. The experience is powerfully healing! This collectiton of songs is so robust that each time you listen to it you will hear and feel something different and new. I highly reccommend this CD for everyone, but if you are a student of drumming and especially frame drumming it should be a "required" experience.

Drummer and drum historian Layne Redmond offers nine hypnotically meditative compositions, each featuring a unique and often esoteric beat sounded by at least two different kinds of drums, and layered with dreamy flutes, violin and wordless vocalise descants. Each piece is an invocation to one of the nine Greek Muses, goddesses of creativity: Kalliopeia (epic poetry), Euterpe (music), Melpomene (song and tragedy), Erato (music of mystical and erotic love), Terpsikhore (dance), Urania (astronomy, mathematics and prophesy), Kleio (history and heroic poetry), Thaleia (comedy and idyllic poetry), and Polyhymnia (sacred hymns and meditation). This album is relaxing to unwind to, and should be particularly fascinating for drummers or dancers to listen to and try to perform along with. Some drumming albums can be boring and repetitive to the verge of pointlessness, but the gentle rhythmic interplay of the dual drummers in here is so well and intelligently crafted that, to me, it never ceases to intrigue. "Invoking the Muses" is truly a delight to the senses! All the tempos are slow to moderate, and the beat structures for each track are as follows: #1 - in seven; #2 - a slow three or six; #3 - actually in phrases of sixteen, but can be thought of in a slow four or a medium eight if sixteen is too hard to count along with; #4 - a moderate "African" six; #5 - a faster six; #6 - this one's a real brain twister, with measures decreasing in size from eight to seven to six and so on in increments all the way down to one, at which point the eight-beat-measure begins over again (a fun challenge to drum along with and aptly dedicated to the Muse of mathematics!); #7 - a funky, upbeat eight; #8 - another one in seven, composed by Glen Velez; #9 - a spacey, beatless melange of crooning, bells and Tibetan bowls. The performers are Layne Redmond on Remo frame drums, vocals, tambourines and other assorted percussion, Tommy Brunjes on additional drums and percussion, Steve Gorn on bansuri flute, Vicki Richards on violin, and Ruth Cunningham and Laurel Masse on vocals. Layne Redmond's previous album, "Chanting the Chakras," combines the chanting of sacred syllables of nada yoga with meaty, interesting drum rhythms. (It's repetitive in a purposeful, meditiational way, but a unique listening experience nonetheless.)

I bought this simply on a "I need something drum-like" kick.

I don't regret it one bit. It makes me both calm and feel like dancing at the same time.

I purchased this CD after reading a review on Witchvox and I have never regretted my choice. Every song is inspirational and unlike other musicians whose compositions seem to bleed into the next, all the songs are unique, just like the muses!

You can put this CD on in the car and not worry about falling asleep as this is not that kind of music and equally important none of the compositions are annoyingly intense or laced with unnecessary vocals. Enjoy!

I'm not really into new age music, but this is an amazing CD if you really love great percussion. If you like Dead Can Dance or Vas you might want to check out this CD, the drum work and the vocals that go along with them are fantastic.

Invoking the Muse is one of Layne Redmond's best CD's. I use it when meditating, doing yoga, or doing my artwork. It puts me in a creative mode, which almost seems to transcend time. Often while drawing, a couple of hours will pass before I realize it when I put the CD on continuous loop. The rhythms are all different though, not at all sleep inducing.

Initially I thought this was going to be more of a teaching CD for drumming. I've been really happy with my purchase because I didn't need an instructional CD, & it's not merely another drumming CD - there are other instruments and vocals woven in, which as others have said, creates absolutely beautiful and inspirational music.

Layne is one of the top tambourine players in the world. This is not the usual girl in front of the band tamourine, but the frame drum with jingles. She takes it to a whole new level. These pieces are mostly percussion but with wonderful orchestration, all with a MIddle Eastern feel. The pieces are long, but definitely worth the time.

I LOVE this CD! I play it when I do yoga. The combo of drums and voice are intoxicating! Very grounding and sexy!

This CD is everything the previous two reviewers said it is so I will just underscore what they said with this review. The music is soothing and still uplifting, great for meditative movement, not typical new age, this has substance. I will definitely check out more CD's by Lane Redmond and the other musicians on this disk.