about
SOMETHING’S HAPPENING: THE TRANSITIONING OF A PHAROAH
a. Something’s Happening (A Transitioning)
b. The Sound of Now (Baba Pharoah)
c. Baba’s Pyramid (9/24/22)
d. Be Kind
EXPLORATIONS OF TURIYA LOKA
a. Offerings at the Altar
b. Universal Consciousness
c. Words from Radha Botofasina
d. Heading to Turiya Loka
e. Om Nama Shivayah
f. Jai Sri Ganesha
COSMIC TONES FOR MENTAL WELLNESS RESEARCH PROJECT
a. High on Flutes
b. Starry Hymn
c. Mindfulness Call
d. Mindfulness Psalm
e. Tones for Mindfulness (Elements)
f. Afr0 Futur3 Funk
g. Cosmic Tones for Mental Health
h. Oneness Tone
Each cassette in this trilogy is based off over a decade of audio-spiritual research on three beings who have created highly spiritual musical compositions, and who have transitioned off this planet in the physical: Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane (Swamini Turiyasangitananda), and Sun Ra. You will hear two ensembles - Roman Norfleet & Be Present Art Group as well as The Cosmic Tones Research Trio - play interpretations, responses, and hypotheses pertaining to the research on the music and message of those beings. Each cassette is simultaneously in tribute and is also a sonic dissertation. These cassettes are intended as future research on how the music of these beings affected the playing, the witnesses, and the hearers at the time of performance.
The first cassette "Something’s Happening: The Transitioning of a Pharoah" centers the beingness and music of Pharaoh Sanders. This recording took place on the day of his transition (9-24-22) at The Lumber Room in Portland, Oregon and features the ensemble Roman Norfleet & Be Present Art Group. The news of Pharaoh’s transition stunned the whole planet. The ensemble had different compositions prepared for this day originally, but immediately made new sonic arrangements in response, prayer, grief, and gratitude. Norfleet had a formative encounter with Sanders around 2013 while working as a computer salesman and learned about the music of Sanders directly from him. They spent hours in conversation on technology and music, which included talks about Sun Ra.
The second cassette is titled "Explorations of Turiya Loka" and was recorded at Leach Botanical Garden in Portland, Oregon (9-24-23). "Turiya" is a spiritual, blissful state and "Loka" means planet - according to Vedic spiritual systems. Turiya Loka is a spiritual, blissful planet. This cassette holds a recorded ceremony by Roman Norfleet & Be Present Art Group honoring the music and spiritual teachings of Swamini Turiyasangitananda (also known as Alice Coltrane) and explores what Turiya Loka may sound like. Turiya Loka is a home for Swamini Turiyasangitananda based on her song “Om Supreme” on the album Eternity. Since 2017, Norfleet has been studying and fellowshipping with the students of Swamini Turiyasangitananda who are based in California and still run the Vedantic Center organization. The organization continues to hold classes and ceremony. In this recording, listeners will get a chance to hear spiritual insight from Radha Botofasina, who is a student of Swamini Turiyasangitananda and lived on the ashram the spiritual teacher founded in Agoura Hills, California.
The final cassette consists of music from The Cosmic Tones Research Trio composed of Harlan Silverman, Kennedy Verrett, and Norfleet. It was recorded in community at Mississippi Records in Portland, Oregon (12-3-23). The ensemble's name gives a nod to Sun Ra’s "Cosmic Tones For Mental Therapy" album title and was formed for extensive research purposes pertaining to universal and cosmic tones - how they affect human mental wellness and overall interspecies wellbeing. Sun Ra’s "Cosmic Tones For Mental Therapy" is a great example and research tool for audio wellness. The evening of this concert was the trio’s first mental wellness event which had tremendous positive effects on the beings and buildings present and surrounding.
credits
released March 14, 2024
Cassette I
Players: Jacque Hammond (vocals, bell), Elijah Jamal Asani (bell), Brown Calvin (Keys, small percussion), Darian Anthony Patrick (drums, percussion), Roman Norfleet (vocals, percussion, alto and soprano sax)
Cassette II
Players: Jacque Hammond (vocals, small percussion), Brown Calvin (Keys), Dae Bryant (drums), Harlan Silverman (cello), Roman Norfleet (vocals, percussion, alto sax)
Cassette III
Players: Harlan Silverman (cello, flute, small percussion), Kennedy Verrett (didgeridoo, keys, flute, small percussion) and Roman Norfleet (sax, vocals, flute, keys and small percussion)