GRAIN OF SAND

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1) Inspiration (7:08)
Hamid Drake/ Drums and djembe
Gerardo Maza / acoustic guitar and keyboards
Elisa Street / Vocals
Tom Q / electric lead guitar Mike Todd /Bass
Mike Todd / Bass

This piece is dedicated to the force that inspires us to create and to love. Originally written in the early 1980’s. It’s a slow-burn soulful funk groove with smooth Sade’ like vocals, fluid rock guitar and rapid fire drums and percussion. 


2) Sky Pilot (7:35)
Hamid Drake / trap drums and tablas
Van Manakas / lead guitar
Gerardo Maza / acoustic guitar and keyboards
Mike Todd / Bass

Based on a finger-picking guitar progression in 7/4 time , this piece highlights Van Manakas’ fluid guitar playing as he masterfully glides through melody and solos. Light and upbeat in mood.


3) Reflections (8:49)
Matthew Brown / ney
Hamid Drake / trap drums and tablas
Van Manakas / violin
Gerardo Maza / guitars and keyboards
Ali Rahman / vocals
Mike Todd / bass

Cascading waterfalls of sound pour across the screen. Drums, tablas and bass come together with a kinetic forward propulsion that keeps the affair in high swing from beginning to end. Soulful vocals filled with longing, interesting finger-picking harmonies on acoustic guitar, bluesy jazz violin wailings and frenetic energetic leads on electric guitar. Based on the finger-picking guitar progression


4) Amor Divino (4:17)
Hamid Drake / trap drums and djembe
Gerardo Miguel Maza / fahringer, acoustic guitar and acoustic lead guitar
Elisa Street / lead and background vocals
Tom Q/ background vocals and electric guitar leads
Mike Todd / bass

“God is calling us to dance the divine life and to drink of the wine of divine love.”Sung in Spanish and with a Latin feel. A kind of upbeat rocking guajira with wailing lead guitar and hypnotic; percussion. Based on the fahringer part.


5) Weather Change (8:55)
Michael Harrison / vocal improvisations
Van Manakas / acoustic lead guitar and oud
Gerardo Maza / acoustic finger-picking guitar , keyboards and vocals

Originally written as a solo guitar piece in the early eighties. The lyrics are based on a dream I had that went “ I am on a crazy planet in time and all the colors are driving me blind.”This piece has smooth lyrical solos performed on acoustic guitar and oud from Van Manakas and vocal yearnings for God, gift of Michael Harrison.


6) Time Line (7:21)
Michael Harrison / vocals
Gerardo Maza / fahringer, nal , caxixi, shepherd bells , ankle bells, keyboards
and electric lead guitar

(A fahringer is a new instrument based on long hollow tubes stopped at different levels so as to produce different tones.It is played with something that looks like a small ping pong racket and sounds a little like a marimba but softer.) Based on polyrhythmic fahringer parts in twelve time.That is three separate parts , each combining 3/4 and 4/4. Each part is played simultaneously in a different time, half time, regular time and double time, all making for some very interesting rhythmic and harmonic combinations. Featuring an inspired mantra invocation, improvised singing to Shiva and ecstatic lead guitar. I had a mystical dream about this piece the night before the session with Michael Harrison.


7) Setar Solo (1:17)
Ali Rahman / setar

An inspired solo by Ali Rahman on this traditional Persian Sufi instrument.


8) To the Ninth (3:13)  
Hamid Drake / tablas
Van Manakas / oud
Gerardo Maza / nal and ankle bells

An infectious groove in 9/4 time, mixing Indian elements with the Middle Eastern oud.



9) Grain Of Sand (7:27)
Gerardo Maza / guitar , tar , caxixi , congas , nal , tambourine
Ali Rahman / vocals and setar
Mike Todd / bass

Ali Rahman’s exquisite and heart-felt rendition of a poem by Hafiz , moving with the music in sacred time.


10) Oh Lord (3:59)
Hamid Drake / trap set and djembe
Van Manakas / acoustic steel string guitar leads and violin
Gerardo Maza / nylon finger-picking guitar and lead vocals
Elisa Street and Tom Q / back up vocals
Mike Todd / bass

Seeking redemption we enter a funky toe tapping cowboy song full of soul.


11) Blues In Blue (6:29) 
Matthew Brown / ney , back up vocal and dhikr
Hamid Drake / trap set and djembe
Van Manakas / oud , violin, back up vocal and dhikr
Gerardo Maza / acoustic guitar and dhikr
Elisa Street / lead vocal
Mike Todd / bass

In the middle of night the flute part played on the ney came to me in a dream. It is the foundation stone upon which the rest of the song was built. The piece begins with the ney solo and goes into a very deep and soulful groove that is rhythmically very powerful. At the end we take you out with a little dhikr (divine remembrance) a la LA ILA HA IL ALLAH ( there is no God, there is nothing except the one, the all encompassing, the all hearing , all seeing, all doing and all forgiving divine being) May we always be guided, Amin.


12) Love Song (1:12)

Fariha / vocal

Fariha’s moving love song to the divine, which I heard her sing at numerous gatherings. I asked her permission to include it on the CD as a blessing and a finishing touch. This piece is also included on the CD “YOU.”

LOVE SONG
How many thousand times have you told me I am yours
But O Love tell me one more time
How many pens and how many oceans of ink
have flowed in Love’s name
but O Love send me oceans more
How many universes of hearts have been broken in Loves cause
But O Love I offer you one more
How many tears for eons of years have filled Love’s beakers
But O Love I can’t stop crying
How many swans in the heavens of Love
have cried your name and passed away
from life and form
But O Love take me too - Fariha

THE STORY

When I first came to Hawaii in nineteen eighty six, I connected with a Sufi group that performed the Dances for Universal Peace and began to play percussion for their dances. The Sufi music and the atmosphere of love and peace that surrounds the gatherings touched my heart. Later on through this group I met members of the Halveti Jerrahi Sufi order and received initiation.

In 1997 I and many others from all over the United States and Mexico traveled to New York City for a spiritual gathering of the Nur of Ashki Sufi circle of dervishes, a branch of the Halveti Jerrahi Sufi order. This particular circle is under the leadership of Sheikha Fariha who resides in New York and Sheikha Amina from Mexico City. In fact, this was a return to New York City for me as I had spent many years there in childhood. My original plan for a ten day visit turned into several months.

It was a time of much prayer, music and song and was filled with mystical dreams and a strong participation in the Sufi community. At many of our spiritual gatherings there was much sharing in music and song and I came to know a number of very talented musicians and singers who can be heard on the
Grain of Sand CD.

I had the Initial vision of the album at a jam session with Van Manakas. When I spoke to him about it, he said he would talk to Sheikha Fariha to see what could be done. Meanwhile I had already begun to compose the music, with the various artists that I was meeting in mind. Fariha was excited by the idea and decided to back the project. She also asked me to help in recording a second CD, a compilation of offerings by the Ashki Jerrahi dervishes which would be dedicated to Lex Hixon, sheikh Nur Al Jerrahi. I had both projects underway simultaneously. The dervish CD came out in 1998 and is called "YOU".

While looking for a studio to record in, I was blessed to find engineer Rich Gaglia at Rich studios in Queens. Rich’s highly evolved ear is complemented by his friendly and encouraging nature. For once, I was able to dedicate myself full time to coordinating and over-seeing the recording sessions. Under these auspicious circumstances, we were able to complete the recording and mixing of both CDs in a matter of months. Alhamdullilah !