All Is One

Since its inception as one of the genre's top independent labels, Higher Octave has gone all out in its quest to weave the charms of worldbeat, melodic jazz, and the spiritual worlds into a seamless mosaic. With the advent of Yulara, the company has turned this quest into a truly religious musical experience. Essentially a duo (keyboardist/producer Robert Matt and sax/flutist Annie Hilsberg), on All Is One, Yulara lays the groundwork for an immensely unpredictable globetrotting experience with a soulful acid jazz groove and silky sax melodies, often complemented by Hilsberg's doubling on harmonic flute. Over these sparkling, uninhibited percussive notions are samples of musical vocal and instrumental snapshots from around the world, which either make this the ultimate travelogue or get in the way of cool accessibility. Each track draws from a unique source -- chanting Zen Monks from Japan, humpback whales from Newfoundland, natives from Mongolia and Borneo, aborigines from Australia, even a prayer from Vietnam. Whatever your take on the creative additions, this is one worldbeat experience which authentically takes its extra rhythmic fanfare from the shores of the world. And it works as rhythm and jazz, too. ~ Jonathan Widran