November CDs

Dreams & Visions By: Mary-Kathryn; Rhythm House Records; 2007; $15.99 online; www.mary-kathryn.com ; www.myspace.com/marykathrynmusic I love it when things come together. And they come together in a big way in this album: shining vocals and superb instrumentation; soul and new age and adult pop; Mary-Kathryn's Christian upbringing and her appreciation for all of the world's religious and spiritual traditions.

Immensely listenable, the melodies are both light and deep. In instrumentation, the keyboards and piano are strong, backed by acoustic and electric guitar and sitar, bass, Chapman stick and drums. The first cut, “Incense of Praise,” celebrates the greatness of all religions, followed by “You Are There”—wherever you go, you and the Holy Spirit. In—“Dreamers,” the Mary-Kathryn addresses our need for men and women of vision in our day. The tune “Psalm 91” has backing”“angel voices” by the Finnish group Fire 4U. Mary-Kathryn plays piano on two of her original tunes, “In Your Time” and”“Flying Toward the Sun.””“Eve of Your Return” looks with hope to the future, and the final cut, “Glory Forever,” is done in the spirit of worship with a large choir in the background.

With the exception of the traditional hymn “My Father's World,” all the songs on this CD are originals. All but one were either written by Mary-Kathryn, co-written with producer Paul Buono. “Wailing Wall” is Buono's instrumental creation, with Mary-Kathryn's vocalization, and John Elefante assisted with the melody on another composition.

Dreams and Visions is a musical banquet offering delicacies for the heart, soul and mind. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have.

—Chiwah

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Coming Home By: Temple; Sounds True; 2007; $17.98; www.soundstrue.com Pure love that's the feeling I take away from the alchemical juxtaposition of Danya Uriel's exquisite soprano voice and the trance-inducing guitar of Israel's Eyal Rivlin on this lovely CD. I don't understand the ancient Hebrew chants, so it's not the words doing this to me. No, it's the sound. Lulling, caressing, blowing softly through my hair and around my spirit.

This musical masterpiece is more than that. The ancient chants bring a healing medicine, each one invoking a particular energy for connecting with the spiraling rhythms of the Jewish year. Each cut was created to facilitate a spiritual practice designed to invoke a particular energy in your life or in the world.

But, having no background in Hebrew chants, I wouldn't have known that had I not read it. I would have thought of the music as enchanting melodies and peaceful vocals wafting me away on a wisp of a cloud—like a fairytale set to music, or the breeze tickling my ear, or the magic of butterflies playing around my shoulders.

Lovely.

—Chiwah

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