Named after the conclusion that Mother Nature is a Goddess with a capital G, not a small g... A genuine Goddess is not troubled, and especially not pushed around by people and their doings. Her power is so complete that the idea she can be harmed is truly delusional. Not a politically correct thought, but how I see it, nonetheless. :-)

A year after the Mediicine Path completed, I was playing and suddenly recognized a phrase as coming from that pool of inspiration - it's like recognizing an accent - and so knew that there was more to come. This is a sketch of the introduction, resonating with my daughter, Iris.

Iris - 7:32

This suite turns out to contain both Medicine Path and Psychedelic Chill movements. Interesting. Here is one of the studies for the dance movement, very basic and rough... but cool and smooth at the same time :-)

I am in the final stage of completing this suite, and will perform it for the first time at Hollyhock, Cortes Island on August 4th. It still has months to go to season and get tight, but the vision is now there.

While in Kampala I met with this very young Kora master - at 22 he had visited every country in Africa, played with Ali Farka Toure and Taj Mahal, and taught African music at Universities in Europe and America. His site - www.nomadroots.com - is here. We quickly saw that we are headed in the same direction. Up went the recording studio, and the below MP3 is a raw recording of our first notes together - Bigger Dave.

When we first set up to record Kinobe (six mikes) he proceeded to unleash this small opus, then leaned over his Kora and muttered "OK, I think its in tune..."

recording Bigger Dave

Kinobe on stage

Nomad

This is a study for a piece Kinobe and I are working on. I wrote it in Paris last August a few days before we were to meet, and then plans changed...

Nomad - 5:08

The Lake of Sand

This will be the first song on the CD. It is a piece I play live with a Loop Station, so I can record the first movement (4 min) and then play over it. The MP3 study here is of the second part, with two tracks, recorded live in my living room. This piece is now seven months old, and finally starting to show the maturity that reveals its strengths. Kinobe was flying above the African desert, and sent me a message of listening to the Medicine Path while looking at a lake of sand...

The Lake of Sand - 4:20

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This is the first composition from the second wave of music, very different source than the Medicine Path, which began in the summer of 2005. This second wave is called Acoustic Psychedelic Chill, and this composition will be on the next CD.

This was composed after speaking with an acomplished writer about something completely unrelated. This file was recorded on first playing, so I suspect it will evolve into a more elaborate piece.

The third movement of this suite. I do a loop section for the middle piece (Velvet Letters 2) . This has now become a solid part of my second set.

Probably as 'stoned' an approach as I am likely to take - its not improvisation, rather, chaos carries the form. Pretty much a piece more suitable for Live shows :-).

This is now clearly a full suite in three movements, the first that is all Psychedelic Chill. It is inspired by two people, Rainer Scheurenbrand and Caton Diab. They are both likely to steal your mind!