CD Based on the “Issa” Legend Released
Award-winning author (The
Swords of Faith) Richard Warren Field’s CD “Issa Music” features East-meets-West mystic jazz inspired by the “Legend of Issa.”
This legend strongly implies that Jesus journeyed to India and studied Buddhism and Hinduism before his world-changing spiritual mission in Roman-occupied Judea, meaning West and East could be spiritually connected in ways not generally considered. “Issa Music” celebrates this idea with a blend of Eastern and Western modes and timbres. Field offers the music to serve as background to meditation, or to discover the layers of sound designed into it (or just to enjoy).
“I loved the freedom involved as I created this music,” Field says. “The only rule I followed was to create instrumental music that is adventurous and unique, but at the same time accessible to both Eastern and Western sensibilities. I work in everything from Western tonal harmonic scales to more exotic modes, some filled with augmented seconds.”
The music is electronic, but with sounds of conventional instruments predominating. “The technology allowed me to combine Western instrumental sounds, like the flute and the piano, with Eastern woodwinds and pitched drums. I explored different combinations of these sounds—I went where the music took me.” This has Field offering selections as diverse as the melodic “River of Flow” with a driving 5/4 rhythm and a flute carrying the melody, contrasted by “Eastern Boogie,” with strings pulsing an exotic sounding ditty, complete with an Ocarina solo. “In both ‘East Meets West,’ and ‘West Meets East,’ I start with big Western orchestral themes, then wind them out into Eastern Jam sessions.
If you listen closely, you can hear the same theme, but placed in a completely different musical setting!” Field's website will offer listeners a complete recording of a different “Issa Music” track each month.
Excerpts of all the tracks are also available there.
Issa Music is now available for sale at iTunes, Amazon, and other on-line music stores.
Links:
Clips of the music on the Issa Music CD, Liner notes, Richard Warren Field home page, Featured Issa
Music piece this month

















