JEFF BALL: The Shape of Light

Jeff Ball

The Shape of Light

© 2007 Red Feather Music (634479569241)

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Contemporary Native Amercian Flute Music

notes

In 2004 Jeff and the band were introduced to a new instrument called the Hang. The sound of the Hang and the Native American Flute blend together so well that it only seemed natural to record an entire album based around these two instruments.

On this recording Jeff and Ted are joined by guest artists; Ron Kravitz on the Hang, Shruti Box and Chanting, Peter Phippen on the Bansuri, Dawn Avery on Cello, Ron Warren on Piano, John Natale on Guitar, and Randy Ball on Fretless Bass Guitar.

This album was formerly titled Touching Quiet. This newer release contains a new version of "The Shape of Light" featuring the violin of Arvel Bird. This new release also contains an additional ten minutes of new music.

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  • 1. JEFF BALL CD MIXES WOOD FLUTE WITH NEW “HANG” INSTRUMENT
    author: Ryan Young

    Jeff Ball has become, over the course of ten albums, one of the premier players of wooden American Indian flutes. What makes this recording a bit unusual is that it combines one of the world’s oldest melodic instruments with one of the newest, the space-age “hang” which was unveiled to the world in 2001. The hang, pronounced like gong, is both a melodic and rhythmic instrument, and is played by Jeff’s regular drummer, Ted Natale. Often described as looking like a flying saucer, a hang is two joined shells of steel with thumb-size indentations that represent seven to nine notes harmonically-tuned around a deep root note that emanates from a small dome in the top center. Played with both hands in a rhythmic fashion like a hand-drum, the hang makes bell-like sounds, somewhat like a steel drum from the Caribbean. There is a wide variety of music on the album. Instead of backing by electric guitars and electric keyboards like on some of his previous CDs, the album is nearly all acoustic with Jeff backed by cello, violin, piano and acoustic guitar (fretless bass is the only electric instrument). The first two songs on the CD are the softest and most meditative. But then he starts adding special guests and other instruments, and the music becomes more complex, melodic and jam-oriented. Two of the tunes are ten-minutes long (“Escape of the Medicine Man” and “Getting There”) and they are two of the best. In addition to his own band, Jeff is joined by several talented musicians such as Arvel Bird, Peter Phippen, Dawn Avery and Ron Warren, who are well-known in the Native American music arena.

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