THE WAY (FIRST BOOK OF EXPERIENCES)

With Walcott's Codona, no doubt the best fusion jazz project which includes massive Hindu "raga" elements. After the brilliant, psychedelic and highly original "Rainbow", the singer & lyricist Bobby Callender carries on an other conceptual, deeply religious album called "The way". The "soul", jazz rock music progressively lets the place to spiritual influences of the East, marked by choirs and orchestration. The combination of East meets West is very achieved, putting here more stress on meditative, peaceful effects than before. This musical universe is full of beauty and introspection. All the compositions are floating in a "sacred" time, punctuated by a fragile female voice and Callender's odd, mysterious recitations. A rare, unique and eternal album! An excellent following to the revolutionary "Rainbow".

This was an interesting album to listen trough, as I'm a huge fan of Ralph Towner who has been part of the great band Oregon, which were playing here as a back-up band for Bobby Callender. The overall feeling of the album is joyful, even ecstatic, rejoicing on spiritual enlightenment flowing on spiritual guidance of Christian, Hindu and Buddhist ecumenism. I personally preferred Florian Frice's path on his similar journey, leading to more ethereal approaches, but one cannot deny the will of good shimmering from the slightly nativist acoustic appraisals, fusing jazz music, western folk touches and Indian raga methods as rejoicing booke of songes. Also as a non-musical merit I must mention the album covers, which are really astonishing. I could hang such painting on my home wall anytime, and have to search other recordings of Mr. Callender for allowing larger perspective to his artistic and spiritual goals.