SEAN JOHNSON AND THE WILD LOTUS BAND: Calling The Spirits

Sean Johnson and The Wild Lotus Band

Calling The Spirits

© 2007 Wild Lotus Productions (709587077022)

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Spicy grooves and dreamy melodies from New Orleans' Sean Johnson and The Wild Lotus Band, who put a funky, mystic twist on kirtan - the mantric music of India.

notes

Sean and The Wild Lotus Band have been receiving more and more national attention for their soulful New Orleans take on kirtan. In this highly anticipated new release, the band shares mantric songs great for pure listening, singing and dancing along with, and accompanying yoga practice.

Seán and The Wild Lotus Band play in New Orleans regularly and tour nationwide seeking to inspire freedom through the blissful power of music and chant. The Wild Lotus Band includes Seán on vocals and harmonium, Matt Johnson on tenor saxophone and guitar, percussionist/vocalist Gwendolyn Colman, and Alvin Young on fretless bass. Guest artists on "Calling The Spirits" include Kristen Jensen on violin, Ludmila Konstantinova on cello, vocalist Paul Ruest, and Dean Klopsis on tamboura.

“Truly an Awesome Experience! - a musical gumbo to stir your soul. These guys are the real thing, Sean has the voice of a deva, an angel - and the band is full of swing, soul, rock, jazz and healing vibrations. They deliver from the heart, straight to yours. They can transform a room with their musical gifts, love and sincerity. Sean and the Wild Lotus kirtan band are the best kept secret in the chanting world - not for long!” -- Saul David Raye, founder of Sacred Movement, L.A.

"Seán cracks your heart open into a million pieces of sweetness" -- Dana Flynn and Jasmine Tarkeshi, Founders, Laughing Lotus Yoga, NYC

"Seán's voice is a warm, soothing river of serenity." -Jai Uttal, Grammy Nominated Kirtan Singer

"Sean brings home the devotion in his voice: this is bhakti in full measure. He is also living proof of the power of the hatha yogi who also understands the power of sound. This, I believe, is the future of yoga, especially in the West, where a unique yogic culture is being developed, authentic in its spirit and meaningful in the form of its expression."-- Russill Paul, chant recording artist and author of 'The Yoga of Sound'

"When I spin Seán's CD World Peace Chants' on World Journey, the response is always immediate ... always positive! Whether we come from the Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, or African Roots traditions, World Peace Chants reminds us that the spirit of love has no borders. The album is a jewel whose international facets reflect a good groove and instant balm for the 21st century soul." -- The World Journey Goddess, WWOZ-90.7 FM, New Orleans

reviews

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  • Calling the Spirits
    author: Susan E Lundell

    I got this after hearing him on the compilation cd that came with "The Yoga of Kirtan" book. It's great & listening to it inspires. If you are into kirtan you won't be disappointed.

  • Calling the Spirits
    author: Debbi-Blue Moon Herbals

    I love this cd!!! We have a yoga center and it has become the favorite of all our staff. Simply the best!!!

  • Calling the Spirits
    author: Heather Mills

    Love this CD I highly recommend. Everyone should check it out. I'm going to use it for my yoga class. GREAT!!!!

  • Rock Your Shakti
    author: Julie Weiss

    I love this CD! I am a vinyasa yoga instructor and play it in my flow classes. Such a nice blend of beats, some filled with fire and some filled with moon light. I wish it was longer!

  • Soul Soothing
    author: Cindy Cascio

    I bought one for myself and one for my yoga instructor for Christmas. We love it.

  • Calling the Spirits
    author: Ann Miller

    I gave Calling the Spirits to both our daughters after reading a review in a yoga wear catalog. Both girls are yoga instructors. "How did you know?" one asked and the other said "It's mellow and just right for my expectant mothers' class." Thanks for a great album.

  • A joy to listen to...
    author: Erica Rodifer, Yoga Journal

    "When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, studio owner and kirtan singer Sean Johnson left his hometown to go on tour with his band. In between performances, the group set to work on writing new material that blended Big Easy jazz with Sanskrit chants. The resulting studio album represents the band's emotional grieving for its city and hopefulness for its renaissance. In this acoustically based album, Johnson, his brother and guitarist Matt Johnson, percussionist Gwendolyn Colman, and jazz bassist Alvin Young aims to capture the spirit of the devastated city. Tenor sax and guitar fuse beautifully with the Indian harmonium and tamboura, Middle Eastern dumbek and udu, and Laten castanets. Many of the tracks are improvised recordings, giving each song a life of its own. This organic energy is evident throughout the album, especially with "Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu," in which the opening guitar riff precedes a soulful saxophone accompanying the mantra for happiness and freedom to all. The funky rhythms and vocals in "Om Shakti" exuding the power of the divine feminine, are paired with a rapped chant of the "Durga Chalisa,' a Hindu prayer honoring Durga, the lion-riding warrior goddess. Calling The Spirits delivers the spicy sounds of the bayou with devotion. For that reason, the album is a joy to listen to whether you're a yogi, a jazz connoisseur, or anyone who appreciates wildly creative music."

  • Calling the Spirits
    author: evaleon

    I was led to Sean Johnson through Jai Uttal (whose music I love) and I took a chance in buying this CD since I had never heard Sean Johnson. I am glad I did! I listen to this thrilling devotional music every day.

  • Sean Johnson’s kirtan will ignite the world!
    author: Debi Winston-Buzil, Yoga Chicago Magazine

    "Starting on slow simmer, Calling The Spirits is a jazzy hybrid of East and West that will bring joy to your heart and get your body boogieing! New Orleans is home for this band, and there’s something in the arrangements and in the horns that brings to mind the old-time Cajun mix of high culture and deep roots. I hear the influence of Sean’s teacher, Russill Paul, who taught Sean raga and harmonics, particularly in the title track. With deep reverence for mantra and melody, the Wild Lotus Band does its magic, creating a stew of shimmering world music. Sean’s voice is sublime beyond belief. I adore Gwendolyn Coleman’s vocals, and her Middle Eastern percussion skills are fabulous. The horns add a bit of Eastern European flavor. The cover art is a dreamy feast for the eyes–Hanuman on harmonium, Krishna on sax and Ganesh on bass, while the Devi keeps it all together in time. It’s highly recommended for all chant fans, yogis and music lovers alike. Calling The Spirits will ground you, while at the same time allow your wings to emerge and fly--a true spiritual phenomena."

  • author: Bette Timm, Aura Magazine

    "Calling the Spirits is destined to become one of the most well regarded recordings in the world of chant music. Each arrangement is unique and inspiring˜from the smooth saxophone on Jai Ma to the danceable beat of Om Shakti. Sean Johnson's vocals are impeccable. Gwendolyn Colman backs him up strongly, adding a balancing feminine component. Colman also contributes percussion and her skill on a variety of exotic instruments. She is joined by other talented guest musicians, resulting in a colorful and well integrated sound. Though chant music is a fairly recent genre in our musical culture, it has a longstanding history. In fact, highlighting sacred words with beautiful melodies is a tradition that spans at least a thousand years. This tradition is now being transformed by time and place. Western artists performing kirtan today bring their varied cultural experiences to the melodies they choose. Johnson's music is infused with a subtle flavor of his native city, New Orleans. This recording is also a reflection of his attempt to bring light and hope back to his beloved city after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina."

  • A sound that bubbles with soul and unbridled passion...
    author: Music Design, In Review

    Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band are a New Orleans-based collective that offer a unique twist on classic kirtan chant. Acoustic guitar, bluesy rhythms, lots of clap-style percussion... the band takes the essence of the bayou and merges it with Indian spiritual music for a sound that bubbles with soul and unbridled passion. Johnson provides lead vocals on the album, and his voice has a low, smooth quality that melds well with the earthy, acoustic-based backdrops. Their take on the perennial "Om Namah Shivaya" is fresh and original, with a light jazz sound and joyous singing that captivates. The same could be said for another favorite "Govinda Gopala," which makes great use of Kristen Jensen's violin to provide an upbeat yet tender melody. Johnson and his band perform regularly at yoga studios around the country and have frequently put on benefit concerts to help rebuilding efforts in their New Orleans home.

  • some serious energy flowing in every chant
    author: Michael Mollura, LA Yoga Magazine

    Dedicated to the creativity deity Saraswati, New Orleans-based Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band has some serious energy flowing in every chant in Calling the Spirits. The musical attack is modest and skillful, primarily featuring Matt Johnson on an acoustic guitar with Sean chanting the lead while harmonizing a harmonium drone. The Wild Lotus Band features light violin accompaniment performed by Kristen Jensen, tasty fretless bass lines by Alvin Young, as well as cello tracks by Ludmila Konstantinova, tamboura drones by Dean Klopsis and excellent and skillful percussion contributed by Gwendolyn Colman. The chants here are extremely gentle and easy to listen to. Sean knows his way around a variety of chord structures to keep each piece engaging and musically unique. On the traditional “Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu,” Matt throws in some soft sax licks to keep the mood sensual. I enjoyed the choice of using mostly frame drum rhythms to give the group’s sound a distinctive Middle Eastern influence not often heard on Sanskrit chant albums. There are a lot of other Middle Eastern instruments used here such as the dumbek and the udu –– which are nicely complemented by Sean’s harmonium and Matt’s guitar. All the compositions on Calling the Spirits are well worth listening to and using for any yoga class situation--there is plenty of sweetness and devotion here. Reprinted with the permission of LA Yoga Ayurveda and Health www.LAYogaMagazine.com © Goodman Media Group 2007

  • Calling the Spirits is really so good.
    author: Joe

    I'm using it for my yoga classes and for myself personally to keep my mind in balance throughout the day. I especially love the drums in Om Gang and Om Shakti. Man they go right through me. Thanks for more music that speaks to the inner spirit in me and my students.

  • Calling The Spirits is exquisite.
    author: D.M.

    I feel it riding the current of grace with powerful life affirmation. Those I have shared it with agree we have heard nothing quite like it before. We absolutely love it. It stretches the rings around my heart.

  • heart and soul
    author: jane c.

    love it. great for my yoga classes, and for my prana.

  • American Kirtan at its finest...
    author: Johnny

    This is one of those CD's you can just leave in the CD player forever. Sean and the Wild Lotus Band infuse ancient chants with smooth vocals, beautiful harmonies, and powerful rhythms that take you back to the source of all things. What else do you need?

  • I love this CD!
    author: Bob

    This beautiful music will open your heart. Get it for yourself and someone you love.

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