Mystic Journeys is a musical odyssey of instrumental songs inspired by the most beloved of Sun's Eye mytical fragrant oils. Incorporating acoustic and electronic instruments, the songs are dynamic, innovative and strongly influenced by world music. Exotic flutes, horns, bowed and plucked strings, and driving percussive rhythms in counterpoint with sounds of nature, characterize the compositions. 　　 　　This album represents the visionary inspirations of artists Robert Massaro, Beth McKee and Juan Perez. All three are seasoned musicians with extensive histories of performing and recording. 　　 　　1 The Messenger 　　In the African pantheon of spirits, Elegba opens the way, but this song explores his role as master linguist in all manner of communication. Starting with an ancestral calling performed on jaw harp, its theme is punctuated with the chatter of birds, insects and frogs. The lively theme quiets as the forest and its creatures settle into repose. The song fades with the solo calling of a Talking Drum. 　　 　　2 Madame La Lune 　　The face of Madame La Lune is reflected in the waters, appearing and reappearing with the ebb and flow. Harmony and enchantment glow from within, funding the cycles of life. The theme is set against a repetitive bass note, creating a continuity that returns us to the melody. 　　 　　3 Spirit Flight 　　It is dusk on the plains. The crickets, the crows and the eagle beckon us to tke flight. We surrender to the beat of the ceremonial drums. The melody of the flute lifts us and we transcend. We are the melody. We are the wind. We are flying. 　　 　　4 Mother of Fishes 　　In the song we gain access to the realm of the Goddess of the Ocean. It begins with the mysterious sounding from the depths; vast, echoing movement. The feminie aspect emerges in sweet melogy set against ongoing percussion. A second theme is voice by the cello, appropriate to the fulness of the great mother. It continues aboive the swells and fades into the sounds of the ocean. 　　 　　5 Mirage 　　Against the ancient sands, in a fanfare of dry desert winds and insects, the Triple Goddess appears. In this rhythmic dance, the three stages of the Goddess (Maiden, Woman, Crone) are voiced by the melodic intertwining of the flute, The oboe and the bassoon. A drone on the Oud provies the foundation for the evolution of the melody. Bells call us to prayer, meditation and to peace. 　　 　　6 Dance of the Two Guardians 　　In this song, two themes are heards, representing very different personalities, but equally effective as guardians. The first voice is deep, assertive and aggressive. The second is delicate and compassionate. In unexpected compatibility, the two themes culminate in one joined expression. 　　 　　7 View from the Dragon's Back 　　The dragon dwells atop the high mountains of the north at the summit of the mystical realm. The view is still and vast. The song is one of solitude, eloquently played on the Erhu, a Chinese two stringed violin. Very few creatures share this domain. Only birds and insects sing to the dragon. 　　 　　8 Eternal Spring 　　Primal love, originating from its fundamental wellspring, announces itself in a resonant drone and then descends upon us in a splendourous theme. From there we experience all the euphoria of love. A joyous melody celebrates the new sensations, which then develop into the ecstatic dance of love. All the while the sounds of the spring splash and gurgle, the spring being the source of love. 　　 　　9 Fragrant Jewels of Rain 　　Table drums voice the beginning of the rain. The shower gathers and draws close on the rolls of distant thunder. Iridescent drops descend, distributing fragments of magic and beauty as they impact the earth. We are mesmerized by the rain until it passes and the call of a bird awakens us from our reverie. 　　 　　10 N'sasi's Fire Feast 　　In the ancient Congo, N'sasi was the God of Lightning and Fire. In this song we hear the fire throughout; the first tentative cracklings growing over the pulsating energy of pure heat, building into a crescendo of leaping flames that retreat into the glowing embers. 　　 　　11 La Mora del Rio 　　La Mora refers to a woman of dark complexion and of Moorish descent, an apt description of the Goddess of the Rivers. In the song, clock chimes set a mood of timely anticipation and A-go-go bells introduce a soulful melody. La Mora's song is emotional. We are captivated by her beauty and passion. Her dance is accompanied by the seductive, gathering flow of the river. 　　 　　12 The Creation of Clear Quartz 　　From the depths of the earth, over eons of time, the process begins. Slow, metered change transforms into a theme of energetic activity, punctuated by shimmers and shatters. Dramatic dissonance resolves into harmony as the flower of the rock blossoms into crystaline spendor. 　　 　　13 Meu Cha da Manha 　　Daybreak. Latin rhythms rouse us as song birds serenade the dawn. The melody is graceful and pleasing, like Meu Cha da Manha, My Morning Tea. The world comes to life with a gradual crescendo of percussion and nature. The song lures us into the dance of the day.