Customer Reviews

The Shape of Light

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Over the course of ten albums, Jeff Ball has come to be recognized as one of the premier players of wooden American Indian flutes. Jeff has always been one of the most progressive and innovative wood flutists, both melodically and with his arrangements. This album is no exception because instead of using a traditional drum kit as before, his band's drummer plays space-age dome-metal instrument called a hang (pronounced like gong) which was only invented in 2001. The hang is played like a hand-drum, but combines rhythm and melodies (notes and chords can be played on it).

On THE SHAPE OF LIGHT Ball brings modern sounds together with those from an American Indian culture thousands of years old, he also draws musical inspiration from the world around him (the tunes "Tranquility," "Finding Promise," "Never Alone") as well as from ancient native images and traditions ("Escape Of The Medicine Man," "In Buffalo Skin," "Drawing In Embers").

THE SHAPE OF LIGHT is more acoustic, improvisational and meditative than previous Jeff Ball albums. Two of the tunes are in the ten-minute jam-band range. If you enjoy cutting-edge new music mixing traditional native flute with more modern European-invented instruments, this CD will probably appeal to you.

I play this CD whenever I am giving a Swedish Massage and it sets the pace very nicely for a deep, relaxing massage session. It is just long enough to complete an hour massage and have some play time left before the client has left the room. I seriously listen to this CD every day. It is awesome.

This is an excellent Album I highly recomend it. I also highly recomend Jeff Ball's CD "Wind Tamer", my personal all time favorite Native American Flute CD, be informed that (Wind Tamer) it has some drumming, chanting and Native philosophy between songs but if you are looking for awsome solo flute playing this is it! Also if you want to learn how to play the NAF check out Jeff Ball's (co-authored with Bruce Whitten) instruction booklet w/ CD "Trailhead of the American Indian Courting Flute". I am A NAF Maker and teacher. I am not affiliated with Jeff or any of the publishers in any way. I just have a tremendous respect and liking for Jeff Ball's flute playing and his instuction booklet on playing the Native American Flute, it is the best out there! Gregg Hammond