Sacred Earth by George Wallace

The four electro-acoustical movements offer a mix of lush, ethereal soundscapes, intense and drum-driven shamanistic chanting, and airy, sweetly hypnotic meditations.

The experience begins with a prayer deep inside the long-silent red-rock canyons and ancient pristine forests where the soul of Earth herself dwells. Flora and fauna play in delicious 7/4 counterpoint. Wind chimes charm us to a vantage point just above tree-level; we see in the distance the mystical flanks of Mt. Fuji, robed like an empress in snow and heralded with a great Japanese gong. Moments of Zen contemplation ensue. Then higher still, a welcoming canopy of air lofts a solitary carefree kite, dancing to a simple F pentatonic melody nearly forgotten since childhood but now forever remembered.

The Fire Movement actually "sounds" hot; beyond-measure-hot...Volcano Hot. We're there at the rim, staring deep down into our own violent, roiling origins, hypnotized and mute, unable to move. The spell is picked up by villagers below as they sing by torchlight to their own frenzied, ecstatic dance. An Elder jumps to the center where with wildest abandon he gyrates to the drums and scales from worlds well beyond this one. The spell suddenly breaks with a magic-sword: a crack of heat lightning. The Storm: a mystery of transformation from fire to water, two perceived opposites. And then...the rain comes, and keeps coming. The drops dance; we are intrigued by the amazing mystic liquidness of our being. The whales sing. Not just underwater ... through amniotic fluid ...the earth of our birth.

A multinstrumentalist, singer, and songwriter, George was born in Philadelphia, PA, and majored in composition and arranging at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. There he had a six-year stint with “Fate”, a busy, successful club act from Worcester, Massachusetts. The group recorded a string of singles, all written and/or produced by George.

He then pursued a solo recording career; moving to New York City, he signed a major multi-album deal with CBS/Epic Records and a publishing agreement with Screen Gems. He recorded two albums under that label: Heroes like You and Me in 1980 and What It Is in 1982. Virtually all parts were sung or played by George himself, and both albums enjoyed enviable critical acclaim by numerous industry publications such as the Gavin Report, High Fidelity, Record World, Trouser Press, and Billboard.

In 1983 George left New York for Bucks County, PA, now free to explore the finer subtleties of his maturing songwriter’s persona. He produced recordings completely in-house, writing and recording over an increasingly wide range of dynamic and lyric styles. He occasionally produced other acts and produced several planetarium show soundtracks. For a little while longer, he continued writing material for Screen Gems; several songs from this period received airplay through cover versions from such artists as Ted Nugent, Pat Travers, and Joan Jett, as well as some European artists.

As his compositions became more introspective and spiritual, George turned away from the 3-5 minute format and from songwriting in general. In 1985 he formed his own new studio and production company, AirBorn Music, and produced three landmark instrumental works: Sacred Earth (1985), Communion (1988), and Frontiers (1993). He was soon a featured artist on Philadelphia-produced shows Diaspar and Star’s End, and nationally recognized on widely syndicated shows like Echoes, Hearts of Space, and Musical Starstreams.

In 1997-98 George spent a year and a half in Japan, performing with a small jazz/pop ensemble. During this period he wrote a potpourri of instrumentals, If I Had A Ship…, and a vocal collection entitled Set Free. In the spring of 2000, having now completed those two projects, George reconnected with his first love from many years before. Ultimately he moved out to Alaska to be with her. From his studio there amidst the mountains he has just released a new CD of songs, Passion Play: songs of spirit, love, and outrage. Passion Play offers a rich, expansive musical ride with a calculated flow of tender love songs, aching search for meaning, and loony-tune satire, all delivered with a fiery honesty and George’s trademark dazzling production. Unifying Passion Play are his lifelong themes: the love for another, the quest for that which is higher, and the heartfelt wish for a better world.

Average Customer Review: