Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour with Mariam Massaro

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour with Mariam Massaro

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #531 is an hour of visionary acoustic improvisational music played by The Gaea Star Band with Mariam Massaro on vocals, Celtic harp, Native flute, acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, harmonica and ukulele, Bob Sherwood on piano and Craig Harris on Native drums and congas.  Recorded live at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, Massachusetts in May of 2023, today’s show begins with the lush, hallucinogenic “Every Time”, a jazzy, hypnotic piece that starts with lyric Native flute fanfares from Mariam before settling into swirling minimalism built around Mariam’s sweeping Celtic harp.  Mariam’s open-tuned Martin acoustic 12-string brings in the lush, shaded raga “Let’s Step Aside For The Light To Flow Through The Portal”, a gorgeous, deeply spiritual exploration that culminates with evocative Eastern modes from Mariam’s flute trading off with her beautiful, surreal poetry.  “Into The Realm Of The Night” is a hushed lullaby featuring chiming acoustic guitar from Mariam and “Let’s All Ponder Life” is a pretty folk song driven by Mariam’s dancing ukulele and Craig’s fundamental Native drum.  “Blessed To Be Reborn” is a blues/ragtime piece featuring fine vocals and harmonica from Mariam and Bob’s stride piano and “Jophy The Monkey” is a playful story that reprises this song from several years ago powerfully and dynamically.
Learn more about Mariam here: http://www.mariammassaro.com

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour with Mariam Massaro

Today on Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #530 the Gaea Star Band presents an hour of acoustic visionary improv music featuring Mariam Massaro on vocals, Native flute, acoustic guitar and ukulele, Bob Sherwood on piano and Craig Harris on Native drums and congas.  Recorded live at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington Massachusetts in late May of 2023, today’s show begins with the mystical and energized “Rivers Running Pure”, a sprawling, ambitious and constantly evolving piece featuring three main movements.  Part Two is as Native flute fanfare from Mariam above swirling piano and Part Three, or “What A Lovely Way” features a gorgeous vocal from Mariam above beautiful, evocative piano themes from Bob.  “It’s Just The Time” is a brooding minor ballad led by Mariam’s ukulele that develops into a powerful prayer and “Every Day” is a lilting folk tune featuring a fine, simple melody from Mariam over imaginative backing from Craig and Bob with Mariam’s chiming 8-string ukulele dancing tirelessly.  Mariam plays her hushed, intense acoustic guitar on “Treasures”, a mysterious, relentless song that rises to an intense crescendo with Bob’s assertive, hypnotic piano figures.  We finish today’s show with the beautiful and classically formal “We Are The Ancient Ones” featuring beautiful, soaring Native flute passages from Mariam over a dusty, timeworn piano backing from Bob.
Learn more about Mariam here: http://www.mariammassaro.com

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour with Mariam Massaro

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #529 is an hour of acoustic visionary improvisational music played live by The Gaea Star Band featuring Mariam Massaro on vocals, Native flute, 4- and 8-string ukulele, harmonica, kalimba, sitar, acoustic guitar and shruti box, Bob Sherwood on piano and tabla and Craig Harris on Native drums and congas.  Recorded live at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, Massachusetts, today’s show begins with the bucolic, spiritual “Express Yourself”, a gospel-flavored piece with a fine vocal from Mariam.  “Oh Life, You Enrich Me” is a driving, funky blues with the band overdubbing tabla, low drum and more vocals and harmonica from Mariam to create a powerful, thick wall of sound.  “Feel Mother Earth” is a beautiful, melancholy prayer to our home with powerful vocals from Mariam and “Let’s Share Wispy Words Of Wisdom” is a slowly developing, powerful minor groove with congas, piano and acoustic guitar weaving an evocative tapestry under Mariam’s affecting, plaintive vocal.  “Let’s Keep On Dreaming” begins as a delicate whisper of piano and Mariam’s chiming kalimba that grows into an inspiring, open-hearted piece of minimalism.  “This Is The Way” is a fine rock song from Mariam’s “Release” album, here given a psychedelic, driving reading with major-minor ambiguities and a fine vocal from Mariam.  Mariam tunes up her sitar for the raga song cycle “The Easy Way”, a rich drone with tense, expectant piano, soaring Native flute, powerful vocals, lushly astringent sitar and Craig’s ever-present heartbeat.  
Learn more about Mariam here: http://www.mariammassaro.com

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour with Mariam Massaro

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #528 is an hour of visionary acoustic improv music performed by the Gaea Star Band with Mariam Massaro on vocals, dulcimer, acoustic guitar, ukulele, Native flute, shruti box and ukulele, Bob Sherwood on piano and Craig Harris on Native drums and congas.  Recorded live at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, Massachusetts in April of 2023, today’s show begins with the uplifting spring ballad “Joly Joly”, a beautifully pagan-sounding air with a lovely vocal and steady dulcimer drone from Mariam.  “Open Wide” is a Native prayer that opens with lovely flute from Mariam and slowly eases into a rich ballad with the addition of Bob’s piano cadences and “Keep Trying To Hold On” is a light, airy piece driven by Mariam’s ukulele and steady congas from Craig.  The minor folk ballad “Blue Green Star” is a song of praise and devotion for the Earth built around Mariam’s languid vocal and acoustic guitar and “Life Unfolds So Sweetly” is a hypnotic, visually rich descriptive piece built on a Native drum pulse from Craig and rich piano cadences and ostinatos from Bob.  “Listen To The Wisdom Of The Ancient Ones” is a rich, reverent raga in a Hindustani mode built around Mariam’s shruti box drone and closes today’s show with gentle beauty.
Learn more about Mariam here: http://www.mariammassaro.com

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour with Mariam Massaro

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #527 is an hour of visionary acoustic improvisational music featuring the Gaea Star Band with Mariam Massaro on vocals, acoustic guitar, Native flute, ukulele, dulcimer and shruti box, Bob Sherwood on piano and Craig Harris on congas and Native drums.  Today’s show is recorded live at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, Massachusetts in mid-April of 2023 and begins with the energized spring anthem “Oh Jaly, Jaly”, a sprightly, bright jam underpinned by Mariam’s chiming dulcimer and Craig’s steady conga work.  “Oh May We All Shine Brightly One Of These Days” is a hypnotic, stately circular song brought into being by an extended Native flute fanfare from Mariam and “Where Life Is Simply Unfolding Sweetly” is a pretty, soulful, bittersweet ballad underpinned by Mariam’s velvety ukulele chords and beautiful melody.  “Full Of Grace” is a beautiful, veiled, minor folk ballad featuring chiming acoustic guitar from Mariam supporting her mystical poetry and “Life Unfolds So Sweetly” is a deeply felt, deeply spiritual ballad with a deep heartbeat pulse from Craig’s Native drum and hypnotic piano from Bob.   “Listen To The Wisdom Of The Ancient Ones” is a lush, mystical raga underpinned by Mariam’s shruti box and featuring imaginative images from Mariam and Hindustani blues piano from Bob to close today’s show on a meditative note.
Learn more about Mariam here: http://www.mariammassaro.com

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour with Mariam Massaro

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #526 is an hour of visionary acoustic improv music played by the Gaea Star Band with Mariam Massaro on vocals, Native flute, 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars, ukulele and shruti box, Bob Sherwood on piano and Craig Harris on Native drums and congas.  Today we feature special guests Nina Rossi on percussion, vocals and djembe and Cevher Demirel on handpan, flute and bongos.  Recorded live at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, Massachusetts in April 2023, today’s show begins with the stately, mystical “Sail Into The Light Of A New Day Dawning”, a gorgeous, spacious ballad featuring a rich, mesmerizing vocal from Mariam and Cevher’s otherworldly handpan.  Mariam provides the rich, mystical drone of “May We Serve Our Souls’ Deepest Dreams” with her Martin 12-string acoustic as Cevher’s handpan and Bob’s piano weave a rich harmonic tapestry above Craig and Nina’s hypnotic drum work.  The tempo and intensity rise for “Beautiful Portal Of Light”, an evocative, driving piece again featuring Mariam’s chiming 12-string and Cevher’s striking handpan that morphs from mystical into driving, raw Afro-Cuban rock with powerful, funky left hand work from Bob on piano.  “Won’t You?” is a strikingly innocent, open love song built around Mariam’s gorgeous vocal and chiming 8-string ukulele, punctuated beautifully with Cevher’s flute and Mariam’s “Circle Of Light” is dressed in an Eastern gown with Mariam’s acoustic guitar and Cevher’s handpan forming a powerful modal center for a powerfully musical, reverent prayer.   A delicate, beautiful, extended Native flute exploration from Mariam atop a percolating, compelling rhythm section and obsessive, aching, minimalist piano bring in today’s closing number, the drifting, bittersweet “The Glory”, a richly evocative piece featuring tight ensemble, top notch in situ composition and a lush and easeful vocal from Mariam. 
Learn more about Mariam here: http://www.mariammassaro.com

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour with Mariam Massaro

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #525 is an inspired hour of original, visionary acoustic music played by the Gaea Star Band with Mariam Massaro on vocals, Native flute, ukulele, dulcimer and acoustic guitar, Bob Sherwood on piano and bass guitar, Craig Harris on congas and Native drums and special guest drummer and singer Nina Rossi on djembe and background vocals,  Recorded live at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, Massachusetts in April 2023, today’s show begins with the mystical, sparse, spacious “Let’s Illuminate The Glory Of Life”, a lilting tone poem with Mariam’s vocal and Native flute duetting seamlessly.  “”Shamiyaya” is an island song from Mariam’s “Release” album given a powerful reggae workout by the ensemble and “You’re The One” from the “Gaea Star Crystal” album is starkly powerful with a fine vocal from Mariam.  “What A Great Day” is a gorgeous, stately song distinguished by fine stream of April consciousness from Mariam over a circular, anthemic piano figure from Bob.  “Calling Us Home” and “Flowers Of Delight” are both drawn from the “Release” album, the former mystical and powerfully driving, the latter relaxed and shrouded in a summer haze.  “Vision Quest” from the “Vision Quest” album closes today’s show with echoes of Africa and of the forest over an ensemble of marimba, djembe, Mariam’s vocal and native flute and Bob’s restless, percolating piano.
Learn more about Mariam here: http://www.mariammassaro.com

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour with Mariam Massaro

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #524 is an hour of improvised visionary, acoustic music played by the Gaea Star Band with Mariam Massaro on vocals, Native flute, dulcimer, acoustic guitar, 4- and 8-string ukulele and shruti box, Bob Sherwood on piano, Craig Harris on Native drum and congas, and today’s special guest percussionist Nina Rossi on djembe.  Today’s show was recorded live at the beginning of April 2023 and begins with the uplifting, punchy “Hello Spring”, an upbeat folk song carried by Mariam’s 8-string ukulele and a strong, tight bed of percussion from Craig and Nina.  “One Step At A Time” is a powerful rock song featuring a powerful vocal from Mariam above her chiming dulcimer and “You Rise Me Up” is a gorgeous folk epic that visits the blues through folk and driving rock sections.  “Thank You For It All” steers the band straight into a melancholy, beautiful, stately piece with powerful percussion and virtuoso flute pirouettes from Mariam.  “Beautiful Rays” is a gorgeous, meditative raga with Mariam’s shruti box as drone as Bob explores a veiled, mysterious Hindustani mode in a varied dance with Mariam’s lush melody.  “Oh The Sound Of The River” is a deep, jazz fusion piece with funky left-hand basslines from Bob over the powerful beat of Craig and Nina and “It’s a Gentle Way” closes today’s show with a gorgeous piece that visits understated baroque and rock modalities.
Learn more about Mariam here: http://www.mariammassaro.com

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour with Mariam Massaro

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #523 is an hour of visionary acoustic improvisational music brought to you by Mariam Massaro and Bob Sherwood of the Gaea Star Band.  Recorded in March of 2023 at Singing Brook Studio in Worthington, Massachusetts, today’s show begins with the compelling “It’s All Inside Of You”, a rockish piece featuring overdubbed vocals and harmonica from Mariam and piano from Bob over a live track of Mariam on vocals and acoustic guitar and Bob on congas.  “The Moon Is Rising” is a hypnotic, psychedelic, impressionistic piece featuring a lovely, wintery vocals and plaintive Native flute from Mariam and “Beginning And Ending” is a beautiful, deep folk song driven by Mariam’s bouncing ukulele and Bob’s playful, bright piano figures.  “Spring Returns To The Forest” is a drifting, impressionistic tale of the woodlands featuring beautiful, hypnotic Native flute and Celtic harp from Mariam that grows and blooms into a rich, gorgeous, evocative tone poem and Mariam’s droning shruti box becomes the basis for the beautiful, peaceful, surreal “Sailing”, a romantic, evocative piece with stately piano from Bob and a fine vocal from Mariam.  “The Medicine Path” is a gentle, lilting folk song driven by Mariam’s chiming acoustic guitar and “She” is a playful blues featuring barrelhouse piano from Bob and sprightly 8-string ukulele from Mariam.
Learn more about Mariam here: http://www.mariammassaro.com

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour with Mariam Massaro

Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour #522 is an hour of visionary, deeply creative acoustic improvised music featuring the Gaea Star Band with Mariam Massaro on vocals, Native flute, acoustic guitar, 6- and 8-string ukulele, harmonica and shruti box, Bob Sherwood on piano and bass guitar and Craig Harris on Native drums and congas.  Recorded live at Singing Brook Studio and mixed at Dragonfly Sound, today’s episode begins with the wistful “Shamaya”, a beautiful ballad that explores and honors both the wild and gentle aspects of our domestic animals that features a lovely live and overdubbed vocal and lyrical Native flute from Mariam.  “Let’s Raise The Bar” is a sprightly, dancing piece driven by Mariam’s bouncing ukulele and “Finding Our Way” is a smooth blues supported by Bob’s stride piano and Craig’s tight drumming as Mariam alternates between her hopeful, inspiring lyric and bluesy harmonica.  The song moves into a stately, inspired gospel vibe and returns to tight blues for the coda with fine New Orleans piano from Bob as Mariam decorates with harmonica.  “Singing For Everyone” is a peaceful folk ballad carried along by Mariam’s sparkling acoustic guitar and “Calling In Spring” is an Island blues with Mariam’s chiming 8-string uke and Bob’s Eastern-leaning piano bookending a wide, generous set of ethnic influences to present a hopeful, childlike prayer for spring.  “Star Ray” is a wistful, pretty minor exploration set in motion by Mariam’s light ukulele and beautiful melody and “Hold On To Your Passions” is a sprawling, deeply creative exploration that slowly climbs to a driving, intense, impassioned zenith in a powerful dance of Native drum, Native flute and piano before slowly drifting away in an evocative mixture of jazz, classical and minimalist moves.
Learn more about Mariam here: http://www.mariammassaro.com