D R E A M S T O N E

RAINFOREST AWAKENING

THE CONSCIOUS FLOW OF DREAMS

GRAIN OF SAND

TRIBAL WARRIORS TRAVEL THROUGH SPACE

SONGS OF A DISTANT PLANET

D R E A M S T O N E

Musical Descriptions

1. OPEN SPACE (6:37)
Alima Jill Ackerman – Vocals; Glenn Collen – Congas;
Mike Hamilton - wooden flute; Steven Howells – drums; Joe Lohmeier –cello; Matt Moore – sax; Gerardo Maza - keyboards, percussion; Nathan Ng - bass.

A vast and spacious environment opening with Tibetan bell and bamboo flute that lead into a improvisation with a droning didjeridoo and other mysterious sounds.



2. DISTANT VOICES (12:13)
Alima Jill Ackerman – vocals; Glenn Collen – congas; Mike Hamilton – vocals; Steven Howells – drums; Joe Lohmeier – cello; Matt Moore - tenor sax; Gerardo Maza - guitar & keyboards; Nathan Ng – bass.

Distant calls awake you in this slow groove that gradually takes you into a trance with exquisite vocals and soulful and innovative solos on cello, electric guitar and tenor sax.



3. SAMSARA (5:52)
Glenn Collen – congas; Steven Howells – drums;
Joe Lohmeier – cello; Matt Moore - tenor sax;
Gerardo Maza – keyboards; Nathan Ng - bass.

Humanity cries out at the injustice it has suffered at its own hands. A free-style band improvisation on a top of a bed of tamboura drones, featuring a unique interaction between the musicians.



4. ANGELS PART (3:32)
Cheryl Bartlett – vocals; Glenn Collen – congas;
Steven Howells – drums; Joe Lohmeier – cello;
Matt Moore - tenor sax; Nathan Ng - bass.

A medium tempo samba groove with a warm tenor sax loosely gliding through. Fading out and transitioning into Cheryl Bartlett's soft and sweet vocal.


5. LIGHT & THE COSMIC MESSENGER (10:06)
Alima Jill Ackerman – vocals; Glenn Collen – congas;
Steven Howells – drums; Joe Lohmeier – cello;
Matt Moore - tenor sax & flute; Gerardo Maza - guitar, keyboards, nal, agogo and caxixi; Nathan Ng - bass.

A 9/4 groove with a low center of gravity snakes its way through tumultuous percussion, soaring vocals and adventurous improvisations on electric guitar and flute.


6. WATER WHEEL (5:39)
Mike Hamilton - vocals & nose flute;
Gerardo Maza – keyboards.

Otherworldly keyboard sounds, image-creating poetry and meditative nose flute come together in this calming and transformative piece.

"JOURNEY OF THE FLYING BIRD PEOPLE"
story

I began writing the music for "Dreamstone" in the year 2000. A lot of the seed ideas came from musical improvisations I was doing at the time. The inner sense I got from these early performances also gave me the vision of working with a larger group of musicians. I began to formulate the musical arrangements and to select the individuals who I would eventually work with The "Dreamstone Collective."

Finally, having decided on the instrumentation and the basic arrangements and with the core members of Dreamstone Collective now in place, we began rehearsals on a weekly basis. During the period of a year the music became more and more focused and defined, especially with the input and contributions from the different performers.
In 2002 I decided on one last step in this journey, and that was to record the music that we had been preparing. Later on in 2006 I revisted this work that I still felt to be unfinished and rearranged and edited it into this final recording entitled "Dreamstone".
I am grateful to the members of the band for their belief in the music and for hanging in there with me throughout this process