Bodhi
Take this magic carpet ride! It’s a musical vision into a global stew of styles, sounds, and soothing harmonic expression. This enchanting and inspiring new release is by long-time Bay Area artist Bodhi. Known for over 30 years for his sonorous, shamanic flute playing, Bodhi is also a composer and musical visionary, and his new Peace Is Now raises the bar on all counts. Built as a long-form chant using the simplest of phrases, the invocation alone draws from more than 25 countries, and the 11 tracks cover a wild yet concise spectrum of musical styles and cultures.
A cast of amazing musicians and singers—the cream of the Bay Area crop—contribute their talents, moving through musical genres from rock to folk to sacred, reggae, Americana, world, and gospel, as well as island, jazz, and global interpretations. To achieve this in such a seamless manner is no small feat, and Bodhi (and friends) have done so with soulful, nurturing, and exciting results. They escort and invite the listener on a journey that deepens the realization of peace through flights of fancy that rock, cajole, and lift us higher and higher. It’s brilliantly woven together to deliver a vision of peace in the world. “One CD, 35 Musicians, One Message.”
To mention just a few of the players on Peace Is Now, you’ll hear Todd Boston, Jeff Oster, Barbara Juniper, Ben Leinbach (also coproducer), Shimshai, Celso Alberti, Christine Tulis, Nina Gerber, Tom Finch, Stephen Meese, Robert Powell, Jaya Lakshmi, Sam Rogers, Melanie DeMore, Ramesh Kannan, Jef Labes, Bouchaib Abdelhadi, Jeff Narell, and more!
Each track unfolds into the next, re-establishing the theme, taking up the chorus, and allowing the musicians to stretch out while always holding down the center of the Peace Is Now choral mantra. No stone is unturned, and the unfolding is sheer brilliance from start to finish.
—LLOYD BARDE (LLOYDBARDE.COM)