Peter Kater & R. Carlos Nakai - Ritual (2014)

RITUAL invokes a rich and soulful exploration of Self within a musical landscape created through deep listening, presence and love . In their first recording together in over 10 years Peter Kater and R.Carlos Nakai stand again united on Sacred ground.

Legendary musical artists R.Carlos Nakai ( Native American Flute , Eagle bone whistle, chanting ) and Peter Kater (piano) reunite for their first collaboration in over ten years and are joined by much-acclaimed reed player Paul McCandless (soprano sax, oboe, and English horn) along with talented cellist Jaques Morelenbaum and vocalist Trisha Bowden on the superb release Ritual. A wholly improvised recording, Kater states (in the liner notes) "It is an offering and invitation for us all to meet in this place of pure beingness that transcends time, duality and concept. It is an expression of the totality and gift of each moment and the awareness that the experience of this journey is its own reward." Ritual is a thing of beauty, flowing from one track to the other, anchored by Nakai's haunting, lilting flute and Kater's superbly nuanced piano, but also featuring some major contributions from McCandless whose expert reed work is on display multiple times throughout the album.

Many songs have a drifting, meditative feel to them, almost dream-like at times, while now and then drama surfaces, such as during the middle of the opening track "Meeting At Twilight" when Nakai, Kater, and McCandless gather together and pirouette musically round each other with celebratory joyfulness. Sometimes, the music takes on a somber hue, for example on "Standing As One," wherein Kater and cellist Morelenbaum exchange lead lines, accompanied now and then by Nakai and vocalist Bowden. What is apparent throughout Ritual is the sense of simpatico that all the players have for one another as each one exhibits an instinctive feel for when to step into the spotlight and when to recede into the shadows. Despite this being an improvised recording, there is no perfunctory noodling or overtly-flashy soloing. In fact, if the liner notes didn’t state that this was improvised, as opposed to composed music, you'd be hard pressed to tell. The only "clue" may be in how the unforced fluidity of the melodies comes across as almost organic in nature.

While there are, as mentioned earlier, some brief excursions into drama or passion, the majority of Ritual is low-key, contemplative, and even the occasional forays into higher energy territory do not disrupt the overall reflective, serene mood of the recording. However, do not dismiss this as a simple, "relaxation" recording (although there is nothing wrong with that description in and of itself). There is something deeper going on here, a melding of intelligence with heart, a musical hybrid that speaks to both the listener's mind and the listener's soul. The album is superbly engineered and mixed by Kater with a great mastering job by David Glasser, and, as if the sublime music wasn't enough inducement, the CD is contained within some truly gorgeous artwork. Ritual will almost certainly land on many critics' Top 10 lists for 2014.

Tracklist:

1. Meeting At Twilight 6:57
2. Standing as One 8:26
3. Invoking The Elements 7:08
4. Offering 6:54
5. Space Within 12:34
6. Envisioning 9:11
7. Dream Dances 11:14