Gathering of Spirits

Gathering of Spirits

ASIN: B0002M5T4S

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
While a band co-led by three celebrated saxophonists might suggest Kansas City's swing-era cutting contests, this meeting of Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, and Joe Lovano is something very different. Gathering of Spirits invokes the collective vision and apocalyptic energies of John Coltrane's 1960s meetings with exploratory saxophonists like Eric Dolphy and Pharoah Sanders. The opening "Alexander the Great" finds the three limbering up at a relaxed tempo, while pianist Phil Markowitz's "12th Man" is a gorgeous modal tune that recalls Miles Davis's Kind of Blue. With Coltrane's "India," though, the band's power begins to assert itself, gathering further force in the lyric intensity of "Peace on Earth" (another Coltrane tune) and concluding in the roaring overtones of Brecker's title composition. Propelled by bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart, Brecker, Liebman, and Lovano inspire one another to touch on the roots and branches of their individual creativity. --Stuart Broomer

Gathering of Spirits,Saxophone Summit,Joe Lovano,Michael Brecker,David Liebmann,Telarc,Hard Bop,Jazz,Neo-Bop,Pop,Post-Bop

Average customer rating:

A surprise

Pure "navel contemplation" music!

Great music making

OVER INDULGENT CRAP! DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!

What could've been a tedious blowing session . . .

Gathering of Spirits
Saxophone Summit , Joe Lovano , Michael Brecker , and David Liebmann
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0002M5T4S
Release Date: 2004-08-24

Tracks:

Alexander The Great
The 12th Man
India
Peace On Earth
Trycycle
A Gathering Of Spirits

Amazon.com

While a band co-led by three celebrated saxophonists might suggest Kansas City's swing-era cutting contests, this meeting of Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, and Joe Lovano is something very different. Gathering of Spirits invokes the collective vision and apocalyptic energies of John Coltrane's 1960s meetings with exploratory saxophonists like Eric Dolphy and Pharoah Sanders. The opening "Alexander the Great" finds the three limbering up at a relaxed tempo, while pianist Phil Markowitz's "12th Man" is a gorgeous modal tune that recalls Miles Davis's Kind of Blue. With Coltrane's "India," though, the band's power begins to assert itself, gathering further force in the lyric intensity of "Peace on Earth" (another Coltrane tune) and concluding in the roaring overtones of Brecker's title composition. Propelled by bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart, Brecker, Liebman, and Lovano inspire one another to touch on the roots and branches of their individual creativity. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

A surprise.......2005-09-22

The three-tenors lineup wasn't too promising-looking--I expected a by-rote blowout. What a surprise then that this turns out to be a thoughtful, well-planned session with some genuinely challenging music. David Liebman seems to be responsible for organizing it--at least, much of the repertoire & arranging bears his mark, & the rhythm section (Phil Markowitz, Cecil McBee, Billy Hart) is players I associate with Liebman. As you'd expect from Liebman, Coltrane's spirit is prominent here--but Liebman is one of the most idiosyncratic of Trane's followers, so the music actually sounds quite fresh, not least because Liebman is attracted to the rubato free balladry of very late Coltrane, & there are some very "outside" moments here--notably the start of the title-track & the long "Tricycle". Great stuff, with the honours shared all round (& that includes the sidemen, who all get solo features on "Tricycle"--Markowitz, the least celebrated player here, sounds especially fine). There are far too many supergroup albums out there that have little inherent musical reason to exist; this album places emphasis on substance rather than flash, & is all the better for it.

Pure "navel contemplation" music!.......2005-09-18

Let me go on record as saying that Joe Lovano is one of my favorite sax players. He can swing and negotiate dificult chord changes with the best of them. However, his interests are so diverse and far-reaching that it is always with some anticipation that one does not know what to expect on his next CD. I had an idea what to expect with this CD considering the match up. There is some good tight ensemble playing (intonation is astounding) and a few good solos, most notably the alto clarinet solo taken in "Tricycle" by Lovano. However most of the the CD sounds like so much self-indulgent whining.

Great music making.......2005-08-21

What an incredible pleasure to hear three saxophonists who play so differently co-exist within the same music... Three of the best tenor saxophonists alive today were able to put down some of their ego and enjoy playing with each other. They could have played it safe and played standards throughout the CD or just mixed it up with some of their own more conventional pieces. But instead they tried to extend beyond some of their comfort zones... In this day and age when record companies are cutting jazz out of their payroll left, right, and center, it is great that Telarc actually let the musicians express themselves.

Don't get caught up in the tunnel-visioned ideas of catagorizing music into what is jazz and what is not jazz. These "traditionalists" will not accept any advances in music beyond bebop. Changs and development in music as in all art is a reflection of the society it grew in. To ignore new developments in music let alone developments from 50 years ago, is to ignore something about the world we live in. Truthfully, it's not as if I can listen to Ornette Coleman in my car. A person cannot put free improvisational music on for "background" music. It takes a little effort on the part of the listener to follow the development of the music. But in the right mood, free improvisation can be the most revelatory!!! The emotional expression, the flowing of ideas, and musical interplay between band members can reach unimagined peaks in free improvisation.

OVER INDULGENT CRAP! DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!.......2005-02-19

I got caught out. I saw the stellar line up, heard the opening track and thought i was in for some real cutting edge jazz with the saxists battling it out and they do. For a couple of tracks and then that dreaded word 'free' comes in. Basically 'free music' means playing whatever you want, all at the same time, no changes, just making an indescriable noise for thirty minutes and laugh all the way to the bank. This makes 'trout mask replica' sound conservative. It's just a noise and i would expect some sort of acknowledgement to the mugs like me that paid out hard earned cash to buy it. The arrogance of the three men bears belief. All superior players what were they thinking of? That it was listenable? Save your money and look else where if you're expecting excitement. They even turn a classic like Coltrane's 'india' into dross. An insult to jazz.

What could've been a tedious blowing session . . ........2004-09-02

. . . instead turns out to be a jazz recording of great substance and subtlety.

Face it. These things don't always work. Unless the artists (here Joe Lovano, tenor sax, alto clarinet, tarogato, African blackwood flute; Dave Liebman, tenor sax, soprano sax, Indian flute; and Michael Brecker, tenor sax, Bulgarian wood flute; plus rhythm section Phil Markowitz, piano; Cecil McBee, bass; and Billy Hart, drums) can put aside ego and musical self-aggrandizement, superstar blowing sessions generally come across as mildly interesting but rather indulgent. Not so here. Each of the sax players has deep respect for his fellows, and all are concerned more with creating a vibe of mutuality, congeniality, and largesse than one of a ruthless cutting session. Not that this admirable sense of oneness of purpose lessens or tones down the intensity of soloing and group conversation; rather, it enables each player to situate his musical statements in a context of conviviality and generosity rather than deleterious competition.

And the listener is the winner.

Perhaps surprisingly (although not really, if one has been closely following his career), Dave Liebman comes across as every bit the peer of his two colossal bandmates, Brecker and Lovano. His work on soprano (on the first three numbers), especially marks him as a player to contend with.

In a sense, this can be seen as a Coltrane tribute--although it is much more than that--as the two central pieces ("India" and "Peace on Earth") are compositions by the late master. Both are rendered lovingly but not slavishly, each with its own magical character ("India" restless, probing, sonically sophisticated with its use of esoteric wind instruments; "Peace on Earth" elegiac and magisterial), each carrying, esp., the late Coltrane emphasis on spirituality to new heights. I really like Cecil McBee's arco bass playing on the latter, plus the warmth and beauty of the three tenors.

This disc turns out to be a real surprise for me, because I couldn't imagine it working. But it does. And wonderfully. Eminently worth acquiring.

Average customer rating:

Carrie Newcomer is underrated
Surpised by how much I enjoy this CD
If you don't like her voice...
Stellar
Absolutely the best of her career!

The Gathering of Spirits
Carrie Newcomer
Manufacturer: Philo / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
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Betty's Diner: The Best of Carrie Newcomer
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ASIN: B00006IK43
Release Date: 2002-09-10

Tracks:

Holy As A Day Is Spent
Straight To The Point
I'll Go Too
The Gathering of Spirits (w/ Alison Krauss)
The Fisher King
Little Earthquakes
There And Back
Silver
I'm Still Standing
I Heard An Owl
The Things I've Gone And Done

Customer Reviews:

Carrie Newcomer is underrated.......2007-02-22

I loved every song on this CD. They really spoke to me including Gathering of Spirits, Holy is the Day and all the others. I am a middleaged mom with mostly grown children and the songs seemed to be about many of things that are part of my life.

Surpised by how much I enjoy this CD.......2006-11-04

I had to play this CD over several times when I first got it, because I needed to be sure of what I had heard. These songs resonated deeply in me immediately. "Holy As a Day Is Spent" and "I Heard an Owl" are arresting songs, powerful in their connections. I remain astounded by how close to my feelings Carrie Newcomer's songs are; it's wonderful to hear my contemplative times articulated so harmoniously.

If you don't like her voice..........2003-05-13

...better bail before the first verse is done. Otherwise you're just going to have to learn to love that graceful/gutsy alto.

Her lyrics will have you. They're literate, bittersweet, deep. She's been places and figured out a few things. Better yet, you'll get the feeling she'd rather discuss them with you than just tell you about them. You'll want more of them.

Don't worry, just kidding - you'll like the voice a lot!

Stellar.......2003-04-23

Carrie Newcomer is a poet illuminating the darkness. Her words work as well bare on the page as they do set to music. Novelist Barbara Kingsolver is a fan. But Newcomer also possesses one of the most stunning voices in folk, an enchanting alto somewhere between Mary Chapin Carpenter and Christine McVie. With "The Gathering of Spirits," (Philo) her latest, she has released a superb followup to "The Age of Possibility," her infectious 2000 offering.

While she acknowledges the darkness, she looks for the simple pleasures, even in the toughest of times. On the album's title cut, a duet with Alison Krauss, she notes, "life's a twinkling, that's for certain. But it's such a fine thing."

On her 9/11 offering, "I Heard an Owl," she assures that she still believes, but also points a finger. "Don't tell me hate is ever right or God's will," she sings. "These are the wheels we put in motion ourselves."

Typically, Newcomer venerates the details of life; she finds beauty and grace there. The music is varied, never settling on a predictable foundation. "Holy as the Day is Spent" and the touching, "I'll Go Too" are acoustic meditations. "Straight to the Point" and the defiant "I'm Still Standing" are pop rockers with country touches that easily could fit on a Mary Chapin disc. She even has a little fun with "Silver:" "Will you love me if I babble, let me win sometimes at Scrabble?"

Newcomer takes such small moments and explores the surface beneath with unusual grace and insight. That makes "The Gathering of Spirits" one of the best releases to come along this year.

Absolutely the best of her career!.......2002-09-10

I have been following Carrie's music ever since I found out we share the same birthday (May 25th, but I'm MUCH, MUCH OLDER!!!). Seriously, I was turned on to Carrie's music by some good friends, and have been a fan since her days with The Dorkestra. Carrie's songwriting has evolved into some of the best on the contemporary singer/songwriter scene, and she couples that with her expressive alto voice.

This, the highly anticipated follow-up to her successful "The Age Of Possibility", addresses issues of a more current nature, including the timely "I Heard An Owl", Carrie's observations of just a year ago after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. Truly, the highlight of the disc is the title song, sung as a duet with the wonderful Alison Krauss, certain to become one of Carrie's most requested songs for years to come.

I had the privilege of opening a pair of shows for Carrie in March of 2000. She is as lovely a human being as she is talented. If the adage of "good things come to those who wait" has any meaning at all, she will finally realize the success that has been eluding her for awhile that places her on the top tier of singer/songwriters on the international scale.

Gathering of the Spirits
Average customer rating:
Gathering of the Spirits
Mutabaruka & Roots All-Stars
Manufacturer: Shanachie
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music
General | Reggae | Compilations | International | Styles | Music
Reggae | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000007MZH
Release Date: 1998-06-16

Tracks:

Big Turtle River - The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari
Blackman King - Culture
Jesus Is A Condition - Big Youth
Sitting In Babylon - Justin Hinds
Blackman Pride - The Mighty Diamonds
Someday We'll All Be Free - Judy Mowatt
What About The Land? - Mutabaruka
Woman Of The Ghetto - Marcia Griffiths
Murder - Pablo Moses
Ion Lion Zion - Ernest Ranglin
Your Love - Hortense Ellis
Mystic Groove - The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari

Amazon.com

Mutabaruka is a reggae legend and polymath: He has demonstrated stellar production chops and has notched numerous dub sessions as a poetic vocal performer and composer. His work on Gathering of the Spirits, abridges Mutabaruka's various pasts. His vocals shine on "What About the Land?" and he is likewise responsible for envisioning and executing this entire extravaganza of 12 marquee Jamaican talents doing rootsy, in-studio live reggae. The biggies are all here: Culture, Big Youth, Pablo Moses, Hortense Ellis, and Judy Mowatt. And they're backed by drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare, among other greats. The tunes are all walloping even while being low-key and laid back. They exude their slinking group-think elements, coming off as well as any all-roots Sunsplash festival could do in miniature. The vibe is largely acoustic and spry and unabashedly political. It's been a long while since anyone compiled a bevy of artists to delve into roots traditional reggae and dub, and Mutabaruka has pulled off a true coup here, a feast for reggae lovers. --Andrew Bartlett

Average customer rating:

Gathering
Gary Marks
Manufacturer: Kindred Spirits
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000KHYOOG
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Tracks:

Autumn Eyes
First Snowfall
Sherry's Song
Sailing
Gathering
We Free
Seasons
Him Sometimes
Gina Theme
Secret She

Average customer rating:

Tribute to Peter Maag
Mozart , Beethoven , Schumann , Mendelssohn , and Maag
Manufacturer: Arts Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00007KMRQ
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Average customer rating:

Gathering Spirits

Manufacturer: bryanlloyd.com
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0007VT2JM
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Tracks:

Last Ride
Theme from Earth Spirit
Mid-Day Hawk
Gathering Clouds
Rain Drums
Full Moon Snow
Journey
Home

Product Description

"Enchanting!" - Donovan "Excellent travelling music! Listened to it over and over for hours at a time...Some of the most visually centered sounds we've heard. 'Gathering Spirits' is sure to awaken your heart. Highly recommended!" -Steve Ryals New Age Retailer Magazine "This is what New Age music is all about, connecting the spirit of the land with the Soul of man." -KRLC FM Radio Salt Lake City, UT Bryan Lloyd's unique "heartfelt music is arresting in every detail...Brightly colored thickly textured melodies stir the emotions. The result is an album sure to fire the imagination. All tracks are winners!" -KUGN Radio Eugene, OR "The majesty of the Southwest and reverence for the great Earth Spirit can be felt in Bryan Lloyd's musical tribute to Monument Valley." - Kevin M. Maxwell Bodhi Tree Hollywood, CA After creating the multi-image production "Earth Spirit" for Goulding's Lodge in Monument Valley, Utah, we felt the need for more music composed specifically for driving or walking through a variety of landscapes. Each piece was created around a visual image, composed in appreciation for Monument Valley and all places where the Great Earth Spirit can still be felt. May we take care of and be grateul for all we have.

Average customer rating:

Gathering of Spirits
Robert Fox
Manufacturer: Ad Mu
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000007YZ7
Release Date: 1996-04-05

Tracks:

To The Meeting Place
Across The Plains
Maid Of The Mist
Thundering Water (Niagra)
Moving On
Serpent Mounds
Great Lakes
Street Music
Light, Spirit, Power
A Gathering Of Spirits

Average customer rating:

a gathering of spirits

Gathering of Spirits
Robert Fox
Manufacturer: A.D. Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000G0WQ
Release Date: 2000-03-14

Tracks:

To the Meeting Place
Across the Plains
Maid of the Mist
Thundering Water (Niagara)
Moving On
Serpent Mounds
Great Lakes
Street Music
Light, Spirit, Power
A Gathering of Spirits

Customer Reviews:

a gathering of spirits.......2000-05-04

For those of us that appreciate smooth relaxing new age type music, this cd is very good. It could be excellent music to meditate with, or to perform healing with.

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music