Dreaming of Now

The first song is good. The rest is boring and is places, downright annoying. The first release was better. This one makes one want to jump for the dial. The music, except for the first track lacks an essential flow. Very mediocre.

I have been blessed to have met and performed with this musical Icon . His music is unique and captivating as well as profound ... Listen , be at peace

"Dreaming of Now" is the follow-up to guitarist/composer Shambhu's 2010 chart-topping "Sacred Love." Produced by Shambhu, Will Ackerman, and Thomas Eaton, the recording features a superstar line-up of musicians that includes Charlie Bisharat (violin), Eugene Friesen (cello), George Brooks (sax), Jeff Oster (flugelhorn), Premik Russell Tubbs (wind instruments), et al; Shambhu performs on both acoustic and electric guitars. The music ranges from gentle acoustic guitar solos to jazzy ensemble jams, from dreamy serenity to up-tempo toe-tappers. It's a terrific range of music that allows all of the musicians to stretch out and do what they do best. When an artist debuts with an album as good as "Sacred Love," expectations run really high for the second release and Shambhu and company meet and exceed those expectations. "Dreaming of Now" begins with "Waterfall," a gracefully flowing piece with a restrained energy that simmers just below the surface. Acoustic guitar and cello make such a beautiful pairing, and Eugene Friesen plays his part to soulful perfection. "Windows of Time" opens as a gentle guitar solo with a hint of violin in the background. More ambient than melodic, this lovely piece eventually becomes a trio for violin, guitar and sax. Love it! "Starbucks Landing" picks up the tempo considerably for a light-hearted caffeine-charged romp. Another favorite! The title track is pure peace set to music. Acoustic guitar and flute create a puffy white cloud of sound to simply float away on, completely blissful. "Rendezvous" is a smooth jazz masterpiece performed by at least most of the ensemble. "Devodance" starts out as quiet acoustic guitar solo, adding piano and percussion while remaining a whisper until Jeff Oster and Charlie Bisharat enter on flugel horn and violin. As the piece evolves, it becomes an gently-swaying slow dance full of heart and grace. I really like this one, too! "Searching" is an exquisite guitar solo that flows like an improvisation, looking inward and expressing itself freely and honestly - beautiful! "Jasmine" is sweetly intoxicating with acoustic and electric guitars, flute, percussion, and keyboard. Sometimes light as air and sometimes strongly rhythmic, it's a delight! "Sanctuary" ends the album with a gorgeous acoustic guitar solo that conveys a completely safe and perfect escape from the anxieties of the world. "Dreaming of Now" firmly establishes Shambhu as a leading guitarist and composer of the contemporary instrumental/new age music movement, and he is to be commended for creating a work of peaceful serenity mixed with a little fun. Recommended!!!

Having had the pleasure of featuring Shambhu’s previous release, “Sacred Love,” which was nominated as CD of the Year, Best New Artist, Best World Music CD, and Best Acoustic Instrumental CD by Zone Music Reporter, I was very much looking forward to his latest album, “Dreaming Of Now”, which was two years in the making. The album was recorded at two of the top professional recording facilities in the world – the famed Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California, and Imaginary Roads Studio in Vermont, owned by Grammy winning producer and Windham Hill founder Will Ackerman, who helped produce the album along with Shambhu and recording engineer Thomas Eaton. Although there are too many to name here, the list of stellar session musicians who accompanied Shambhu in both these locations is no less impressive. In addition to being an accomplished guitarist in his own right, one of the things that impressed me most about Shambhu is his ability to generate such elegant instrumental songwriting, full of unexpected chord changes with melodic twists and turns. The opening track, “Waterfall,” wends its way through a pastoral melodic landscape reminiscent of The Paul Winter Consort or the classic Windham Hill sound. The orchestration and arrangement of the tune is absolutely stunning. Shambhu has a flawless sense of when to allow space for the music to breathe and when to bring it all together for dramatic effect. Even little touches like a cymbal swell, the ting of a bell, a brief cello accent, or a flourish on the piano, make their contribution in small yet immeasurable ways that reveal the vision and precision of the composer. Everything I wrote about the first track also holds true for all of the others as well. Each one is so rich in detail that it would be impossible to cover them all in depth. Dreaming of Now excels on so many levels that its’ hard to describe it without over-using superlatives. But ultimately, the music speaks for itself. Although I don’t have a crystal ball, I will predict that Dreaming of Now will soon be found at the top of the new age music charts. Shambhu has created a musical masterwork that sets the standard for music in this genre.