The first service of Sacred Tapestry was beautiful.We played some Jazz and some of my original instrumentals like Mindy#16, New Years Eve,and the brand new Holy Communion Suite.Bill played Drums, Guitar and Fretless Bass. I am using my vintage set-up The Ensoniq KS-32 with an old Yamaha piano module that I've always loved and my favorite synth-the Korg DW 8000, which I use for Bass and cool lead synth sounds. I remember what Joe Zawinul said in one of his last interviews about a synth needing only 4 or 5 good sounds and this one has got them,plus it's ease of programmability makes it easy to manipulate in real time. Teresa's sermon was so inspirational and I learned a lot. Soon you will be able to listen to it at http://sacredtapestry.com
In other news, The Francine gig on Monday at Cafe Circa was another one of the best. We have been on a roll this winter. We got some requests that surprised both of us and we pulled them out of our hats. It's always an adventure and an honor to work with such a great artist. You can hear 1 selection from our Eddies Attic show on the myspace page.
I Look around and see A New Reality This Life is Beautiful It's so Wonderful When I look inside and get in touch with the divine spirit that lives in us That's when I truly see We're part of a Sacred Tapestry
We all are just one Together under the sun A new dawn is here Where God makes it clear That we are together one and all Standing up with the faith to heed the call and go on living in this Sacred Tapestry
Cause life is a quilt of consciousness We're all different pages part of the verse part of the bridge that leads us to Pure understanding Love Is truth
There are so many ways to give thanks and praise I'm singing from my soul The only place I know A quilt of love surrounds us Every Day Guiding us to think clearly To pave the way to a new day as part of this Sacred Tapestry
The above pix are from the frist week of Feb. 08. My brother Jeff is on guitar. The gig at Churchill with Del Baroni and my unexpected stand up Piano act.
I just want to pay my respects to The Maharishi who passed away yesterday at age 91. l learned to meditate in 1974 and it has given me great comfort and peace, as well as being good for general health and peace of mind, I truly believe that meditation helps bring peace within and without as George Harrison once sang. I've often said that I don't know much but I do know that the answers that I have found have come to me after going into the silence. I have drifted away from meditation at times but I always come back to it with gratitude for the serenity and peace that it brings to me. I have been watching some of the news reports and they always mention The Beatles along with TM. Since I learned to meditate in the early 70's and not the 60's, it was the music of The Beach Boys that went hand in hand with the experience and I have been reflecting on some of the great songs of that era like TM by Charles Lloyd from the Waves album(Featuring Al Jardine, Mike Love, Carl Wilson) as well as The ultimate TM song All This is That from The Beach Boys Carl And the Passions(1972) . Back to The Beatles, one need only listen to the songs John and Paul wrote in India in that era-Across The Universe, Blackbird, Mother Natures Son, Julia, Dear Prudence, I Will to see the effect of meditation on the great songwriting team of The Beatles.
Below are some press statements on The Maharishi by the surviving Beatles and Mike Love and Al Jardine of The Beach Boys.
Surviving ex-Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr paid tribute Thursday to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the band's one-time spiritual advisor, who died this week.
British pop legends The Beatles -- bassist McCartney, drummer Starr, rhythm guitarist John Lennon and lead guitarist George Harrison -- visited the Maharishi's ashram in India in 1968 and studied transcendental meditation.
The Maharishi died Tuesday at his home in the Netherlands. He was thought to be 91 years old.
"Whilst I am deeply saddened by his passing, my memories of him will only be joyful ones," said McCartney, 65.
"He was a great man who worked tirelessly for the people of the world and the cause of unity.
"I will never forget the dedication that he wrote inside a book he once gave me, which read 'radiate, bliss, consciousness', and that to me says it all. I will miss him but will always think of him with a smile."
"One of the wise men I met in my life was the Maharishi," Starr, 67, said in a statement. "I always was impressed by his joy and I truly believe he knows where he is going."
Jai Guru Dev While in Paris participating in a UNICEF benefit show, the Beach Boys were introduced to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. That was in December of 1967. Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Alan Jardine and myself along with several family members learned the TM technique from Maharishi himself. Two months later, I made the journey to Rishi Kesh, India, where Donovan and the Beatles also attended a teacher’s training course. Alan and I both became teachers of TM a couple years later.
To say that what I have learned from Maharishi has been of great benefit to me is an understatement to be sure. Maharishi has designed a pathway of development of human potential, which includes transcendental mediation, the TM-Sidhi program, Maharishi Ayurveda, Jyotish, and Yagyas,--all derived directly from the Earth’s most ancient text, The Vedas.
No less a goal than that of world peace was Maharishi’s life’s work. For those of us who were fortunate enough to have been in his presence, his passing is profoundly sad. But I for one, am among the millions who are grateful for what he shared with us on this, “The dawn of the Age of Enlightenment” on the way to the goal which Maharishi called “Heaven on Earth.” We will miss you, but your great light will shine on.
Jai Guru Dev
Michael E. Love
I am saddened by this great man's passing. He helped to enlighten me and my family to the value of transcendental meditation. He hoped to enlighten the world, but said that it must start with each individual, the family, the community, and then entire nations. He would chastise me in a kind way if I stayed away too long, "Where have you been?". And of course I could not think of a single good answer because being in his presence made one feel like a complete idiot for staying away too long. He left me with a tool to deal with life and it's complexities. For that I will always be grateful, and whenever I'm dipping into that "pool of peace inside", I will always think of him.
Jai Guru Dev, Al Jardine
As a tribute to The Maharishi I present my version of The Beach Boys song-Transcendental Meditation-recorded July/07 at Churchill Grounds in Atlanta. It is a duet with percussionist Jerry Fields. Jai Guru Dev, James Jez Graham
