In the Spirit

What a spledid album!!! Maya's "In the Spirit" is an enticing sound journey trough exotic lands and long-ago times. The rendition is so masterful, so tastefully, yet unconventional and modern. The album’s sparkling quality bejeweled the Holiday Season in my household. Listening to it is always trilling; "In the Spirit" unfailingly ignites the imagination.

Absolutely recommended if you are looking for something refreshingly different and eclectic- a fabulous 'listen', soothing yet energizing, a musical treat!

This CD’s thoughtfully selected pieces and innovative arrangements are brought to life with exquisite artistry by the Maya trio. With each successive track, the distinctive sound of Maya – a melodious and hypnotic fusion of harp, flute and percussion - casts a spell of delight that is truly transporting! In the Spirit, while a wonderful offering for the holidays, is a unique and timeless collection that will be a welcome addition to any music library throughout the year.

Just when you think you have heard every possible combination of timbres, I downloaded this album and hear something new and refreshing. The combination of flute, harp, and various percussion instruments blends to give a very lush and unique sound. This is not a holiday album. You can play it 12 months out of the year. I have it in my car right now. This album has a mixture of standard arrangements and original work. Give it a listen. One of my most recent and favorite purchases.

If you're looking for an innovative, melodious and accessible piece of music, then look no further than this new release by Maya. "In the Spirit" is an eclectic collection of classical and familiar (and some not so familiar) melodies with a truly distinctive and layered sound -- a sound that is readily accessible, yet reveals new and sensual depths upon repeated listening. Maya, in case you haven't heard (and trust me, you'll be hearing more about them soon enough), is an exceptional trio comprised of the most seamless blend of flute, harp and percussion you've ever heard. The resulting sound is best described as smooth and hypnotic, jazzy almost, punctuated by a vibrant classicism. Although some of the pieces are holiday-themed, the arrangements and the original compositions make for great listening throughout the year. They've been ensconced in my iPod for a while now, and have shuffled nicely with Bach, Brahms, The Shins, Sonic Youth and Arcade Fire. Oh, and as a bonus, you won't find a more distinctively artistic CD case. Maya's "In The Spirit" is truly a matchless and rewarding listening experience.

As a composer, conductor and percussionist, I pay particular attention to the finer details of recordings I acquire. This is a spectacular first release from this unique, New York City based trio. Overall, this recording has a pristine, luscious sound that is entirely addictive. It’s one of those recordings that you can’t imagine not having on-hand at all times. It’s also versatile: since it’s not strictly just for Christmas, I can give it to everyone I know for the holidays. The players are all first rate. Ms. Moughalian has a warm, smooth, silky sound that is enrapturing and the angelic Ms. Kerrod sounds like two harpists playing at once. The percussionist on this recording, John Hadfield, is very sensitive, which you obviously have to be when you play in a trio with flute and harp, but he also grooves—and grooves hard. Hadfield obviously chose his exquisite collection of instruments carefully, and they are perfectly blended throughout the recording. His rhythm is impeccable: I almost feel like I am being drawn into some sort of wild, polyrhythmic vortex when I listen to him play, particularly in American Dervish, a colorful composition that demonstrates the world of timbral percussive possibilities. If I had to choose one track in my whole collection that demonstrates percussive “cool,” this would be it. The engineering by Grammy award-winning engineer Steve Epstein is also beautifully done, and this is no small feat, particularly when you add percussion to the mix and record without overdubbing. The CD itself is very pretty, and is something you would actually leave out on your coffee table for others to see—it’s that beautiful. My only quibble—and this is very minor—is that there is no information on the CD itself. This is not an issue if you have the CD booklet and case, or if you have all of the tracks on your portable music player, but I know some folks who only keep the CDs and get rid of the packaging, so for them, that would be a little frustrating. But hey—that’s an extremely minor issue.. I can honestly say that I love all of the tracks on this CD, but I especially enjoy I Wander as I Wander, the Bolgar Gypsy Horo, and the Arab Dance from the Nutcracker Ballet. The entire recording is beautiful, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable. All in all, I give this recording five stars. I hope they come out with a new release soon.