Surya Botofasina: Ashram Sun – COMPACT DISCS

Title: Ashram Sun
Artist: Surya Botofasina
Label: Spiritmuse Records
Product Type: COMPACT DISCS
UPC: 634457188860
Genre: Jazz
Release Date: 2024-11-01
Number of Discs: 1
Additional Details: DELUXE EDITION

Ashram Sun’, Surya Botofasina’s much-anticipated album follows his hugely acclaimed debut ‘Everyone’s Children’ and his first offering since his contribution to ‘New Blue Sun’ and global touring alongside Andr 3000. It is an ode to Surya’s upbringing and musical teachings in the tradition of Swamini Turiyasangitananda – aka Alice Coltrane, by the spiritual jazz colossus Herself, at Her Sai Anantam Ashram in California. ‘Ashram Sun’ is a deep listening, spiritual masterpiece with close collaborators Carlos Nio and Nate Mercereau, and is produced by the prolific Carlos Nio, whose vision has become a pivotal point for contemporary progressive jazz music. Ashram Sun features appearances from musical luminaries, including multi-instrumentalist Angel Bat Dawid, Los Angeles saxophonist Randal Fisher, vocalist Mia Doi Todd, as well as collaborations with vocalist MidnightRoba and acclaimed harpist and vocalist Radha Botofasina, among others. The album continues to expand on and conversate with the innovative spiritual-jazz configurations of recent works by Shabaka Hutchings, Andr 3000 and Carlos Nio -all of which Surya plays on. This evolution follows from his debut album ‘Everyone’s Children’, also produced by Nio, which was one of the earliest offerings of this fresh, spiritual approach. As the keyboardist on Andr 3000’s New Blue Sun and an integral member of Andr’s touring group, Surya has already directly brought the legacy of Alice Coltrane/Turiyasangitananda into this rich new current in creative music. The music on Ashram Sun is tuned into these wavelengths, consolidating a new jazz lineage with energies directly from the source. The album blends improvisation in the creative music tradition with washes of cleanly spiritualised keyboard work, atmospheric percussion, and sanctified vocalisation. As Surya Botofasina explains, “Swamini (Alice Coltrane) and the Ashram have taught me that the only place worth going to, is within… I am always going to be an Ashram Sun.” 1. North Triunfo Canyon Road Front Gate Shanti with Carlos Nio 2. Thru Her Wisdom Eye with Mia Doi Todd 3. Ashram Sun Sai Anantam with Nate Mercereau 4. Turiyasangitananda Eternal Pranams 5. There Will Be Brighter Days with Angel Bat Dawid & Nate Mercereau 6. (The Circle) of Compassion with MidnightRoba 7. Our Cottage to Across the Stream 8. Your Soul is Perfect (Supreme Uniter) with Radha Botofasina 9. Avatar Bookstore Bal Vikas with Turn On The Sunlight 10. Chumash Pradesh Mandir Steps Reflection with Randal Fisher

Tracks:
1.1 North Triunfo Canyon Road Front Gate Shanti with Carlos Nio
1.2 Thru Her Wisdom Eye with Mia Doi Todd
1.3 Ashram Sun Sai Anantam with Nate Mercereau
1.4 Turiyasangitananda Eternal Pranams
1.5 There Will Be Brighter Days with Angel Bat Dawid ; Nate Mercereau
1.6 (The Circle) of Compassion with MidnightRoba
1.7 Our Cottage to Across the Stream
1.8 Your Soul is Perfect (Supreme Uniter) with Radha Botofasina
1.9 Avatar Bookstore Bal Vikas with Turn On The Sunlight
1.10 Chumash Pradesh Mandir Steps Reflection with Randal Fisher