Stock: 
Format: 
Release Date: 26-10-1998
Label: Celestial Harmonies
Catalog Number: 15002-2
Barcode: 13711500226
Musical Style: Jazz
Track Listing:
| Disc 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danca Das Cabecas (Head Dance) [07:09] | 10 | Friendship [02:04] |
| 2 | Bodas De Prata (Silver Wedding) [08:06] | 11 | Nexus [05:19] |
| 3 | Altura Do Sol (The Altitude of the Sun) [03:20] | 12 | Mbira [03:50] |
| 4 | Carmo [02:35] | 13 | Latin Tala [02:46] |
| 5 | Tango [05:14] | 14 | African Funeral Song [04:57] |
| 6 | Quarup (Worship Ceremony) [04:50] | 15 | Eastern Star [04:38] |
| 7 | Parque Laje (A Park In Rio) [03:31] | 16 | Dharma [06:11] |
| 8 | Salvador [04:48] | 17 | Capetown [02:58] |
| 9 | Somba [05:09] | ||
Description:
The Altitude of the Sun, combining the original 1975 recording of Paul Horn & Nexus with the 1976 recording of Horn's Altura do Sol (featuring Egberto Gismonti), demonstrates that the material and musicianship is as vital today as it was then. This release represents the logical combination of two recordings rooted in multi–cultural rhythms. By transcending traditional Western musical biases, together they present a musical celebration of humanity, in all its diversity, linked by rhythms and melody into a unifying, satisfying whole. This is the premise behind The Altitude of the Sun. The compositions and the musical interpretations they elicit are formulated to address the question of how to make the influence of other cultures understood within the framework of American music and American cultural traditions. The compositions, arrangements and performances of the Brazilian guitarist/pianist Egberto Gismonti are showcased on tracks one through eight, while the earthy rhythms and richness of cultural influences spanning the globe - African, North and South American, Indian, Tibetan - on tracks nine through seventeen display the masterful improvisational signature of Paul Horn and Nexus.
Biography:
A classically trained flautist, Paul Horn played jazz with Chico Hamilton, served as a top studio musician in Los Angeles and recorded with his own quintet in the early 1960s. During that time, he won two Grammy® Awards for his Jazz Suite On The Mass Texts. Increasing dissatisfaction with the Hollywood lifestyle led Horn to India on his search for alternatives, where he studied meditation and began to explore other ways of playing his instrument. The success of his intuitive and contemplative improvisations on Inside the Taj Mahal proved that audiences were ready for a new approach and opened the door to a series of recordings inside acoustic and architectural wonders around the world, including Inside the Great Pyramid and Inside the Cathedral. Both Horn's cross–cultural collaborations and his highly refined works for more conventional Western ensembles have garnered much critical acclaim.
«Go back to Celestial Harmonies
