trio mediaeval - stella maris (2005)
there is a place i need to go in my weekly meditations and there is a music that takes me to that place. lately lisa gerrard, vas, chanticleer, arvo part, and the trio mediaeval are some of the artists that help me to get centered spiritually. allowing me to enter a space in which i can readily engage with Scripture and theological works.

sinead o'connor - throw down your arms (2005)
i heard an interview with sinead on npr regarding this recording. that sparked my interest while driving in my car - and then i forgot about it. i saw the release recently at the library and picked it up. with sly and robbie laying the foundational dub tracks the project definitely had promise, but ultimately the sinead who won our hearts with "jackie o" was not meant to sing reggae classics like "marcus garvey" and "downpressor man."

ben harper - and the blind boys of alabama (2004)
the cd alternates between harper and the blind boys as a dominant presence in the songs. some really wonderful gospel meshed with ben harper grooves. nuff said.

thelonious monk - ken burns jazz (2000)
i picked this up because it truly is a collection of some of monk's best-known recordings: well you needn't, epistrophy, misterioso, straight-no chaser, blue monk, brilliant corners, ruby-my dear, trinkle-trinkle, off minor, rhythm-a-ning, criss cross, green chimneys, 'round midnight, nice work if you can get it. a great sampling of the piano genius - thelonious monk.

afro celt sound system - anatomic (2005)
while this release is listenable and fine background music. it lacks the diversity, the energy, the uniqueness of it's predecessors. in part because this is a true a.c.s.s. recording without the guest appearances which dotted previous releases (sinead o'connor, peter gabriel, robert plant, and so on).

gotan project - la revancha del tango (2001)
this debut offering from gotan project offers up an amazing blend of tango blended with electronica, downtempo and jazz rhythms. i am happy to put this cd in the player on infinite repeat for an entire work session.

Buy this disc: Gotan Project - La Revancha del Tango

dd synthesis - swinging macedonia (1996)
a student of mine from macedonia had brought me a couple cds from dd synthesis. this eastern european world music ensemble fuses traditional folk choirs and horns with electronics and jazz improvization in a swirl of amazing textures. this recording has definitely grown on me over the years and is one to pick up if you can find it.