Yulara - Cosmic Tree excellent - see pic

Speaking of the realm where the higher concerns of the soul blend into likable grooves and melodies, on Cosmic Tree Yulara's keyboardist Robert Matt and saxophonist/flutist Annie Hilsberg find endlessly fascinating, often otherworldly sonic and rhythmic treasures on their seductive musical experiment, testing the quest-filled hypothesis "What does a tree feel like growing up?"

A simple liner inscription from the Buddha covering the way to happiness provides the relentlessly uplifting context for this never-ending synthesis of sounds and effects from around the world; you don't simply listen to these mosaics of meditation, percussion, and American trip-hop, you dissect. Stripped down, some of the tunes are pretty straightforward -- "Atanka -- The Sun" would be a shuffling, sax-driven cool funk piece if not for the staccato chanting by a shaman woman from Borneo. With its bouncy wah-wah guitar, "Rain on Fire" would be the ultimate '70s soul tune, only it features the spellbinding weave of a mouth percussionist.

Ditto "Narayana" and its Tibetan monk mantra. And if you've never heard a Peruvian wren or bearded seal before, Yulara shine the way. It's almost as if Matt and Hilsberg threw an R&B-jazz-funk party, and invited the whole Eastern Hemisphere to show up whenever the rhythm struck its fancy.

Track Listing:

1 Horizon
2 Narayana
3 All the Way
4 Desert to Jungle
5 Tribute to Allah
6 Atanka -- The Sun
7 Rain on Fire
8 Riksha Heaven
9 Wren Peace
10 Deep Hop

This CD has been test played to ensure you get what you pay for. No surprises here. All come with jewel case, liner booklet and the CD disc itself.

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