It has been clear to me that the access I gained to the worldview of an indigenous culture's spiritual traditions, and the music that resulted from the engagement, were greatly facilitated by my long grounding in the spiritual foundation from my own culture - the western world. The majority of my twenties was spent seeking and incorporating this foundation, through many means, but particularly through the work of Alejandro Jodorowski. You may know his movies, El Topo and The Holy Mountain.

Alejandro's deeper work is teaching, which he still does in Paris, as when I met him in 1975. Through working with him, I accessed an understanding of a body of spiritual knowledge that has been carefully preserved in the western world for 5,000 years... I recognized at the time that this was a foundation I could build on for the rest of my life.

I met nobody else with Alejandro's particular capacity to intervene directly into the core perceptions of another person until I encountered Guillermo Arevalo, 25 years later. And I recognize that what I learned from Alejando allowed me to experience Guillermo's teaching in such a fruitful way.

I have prepared a small website that outlines the principles taught by Alexandro. It is not yet complete - I may need another ten years to feel ready to speak to the final component - but you may find it interesting. I can only assure you that if you engage with it in a deeper fashion, it will bring balance and insight. Please pay extra attention to the opening page on 'disconnecting', it is essential. Bon Voyage!

In my early twenties I first heard John Williams, playing with Julian Bream, another classical master. They recorded two albums together, which have become true classics in their genre.Their lightness and grace - especially in the Spanish dances - took me into the most exquisite spaces, and drew me closer to the idea of chasing beauty through the guitar.

Julian has passed on - I was lucky enough to see him in Vancouver in the seventies - and John still has a very active playing career. John's site is here and the two recordings they made can be found here (there are no sample tracks, but there are very inexpensive used copies available.) You will not be sorry to have these two masters fill your space with sound. :-)

In December Marjory Dow and I recorded three concerts of the music we have been enjoying together: some Medicine Path, some Psychedelic Chill, and her own Sacred Cello. The first 50 copies of the CD will be signed and numbered, and we still have about 12 left to reserve.

Here is one of the pieces that will be on the CD, an Improv that we finished the final night with. (This is unmixed and unmastered, so the final version will be much more polished) Click here to download. You can also order signed and numbered copies of the CD from there.