by Jonathan Widran, The JW Vibe
As I listen to Shambhu’s latest simply but masterfully produced album Reflections and immerse in its melodically intricate, transcendent spirit of soothing spiritual relaxation, it’s fun to muse about the acoustic guitarist and composer’s previous, very different musical life. Long before he was receiving accolades for his instrumental albums from Zone Music Reporter and New Age Radio Music Awards, he was quite the eclectic musician, writing scores for Off-Broadway shows, playing Brazilian music in Brazil and working with Carlos Santana, Paul McCandless, Tony Levin and Narada Michael Walden (on a track from Whitney Houston’s 1987 Whitney album).
Shambhu’s transformation from busy working musician to acclaimed, inspirational acoustic artist should inspire other successful musicians who wonder, even as they work with legends, if there’s something more meaningful brewing inside to create an even more impactful destiny.
Unique in that it was brought to life over a single weekend in January 2023, Shambhu’s previous album Acoustic Oasis was, true to its beautiful title, was created, in his words, “to offer deeply relaxing acoustic guitar music. What emerged were these ten soulful songs as expressions of peace and devotion.” Reflections majestically continues this journey, weaving together themes of love, life and nature. As he notes, he’s always aiming to deliver his inner experience of life through music – offering listeners a sacred space to pause from the frenetic pace of life, breathe deep and discover personal meanings along the way.
The guitarist achieves that magnificently and emphatically throughout Reflections. “The album seeks to encapsulate the human experience of reflection — a profound quest to navigate the intricacies of life as we know it,” he says. “Reflections invites listeners to embrace the transformative power of introspection. Life is a journey and in order to navigate its twists and turns, we must pause at times to reflect and find our way. My guitars serve as the storytellers. Emerging in the spontaneity of the moment, Reflections is a musical ode to the privilege of life itself and a celebration of the beauty that can be found in every step we take.”
The 10-track album’s tender, lilting and richly infectious title song remained unfinished until November 2023 when he breathed new life into it. He released it in January as the first of four lead singles from the full album. Two of the others bear special mention because they were fashioned as special collaborations.
Speaking to the search for new opportunities in life, the ambient, mystical “Openings” finds Shambhu shifting his usual approach and recording a downtempo chill tune on electric guitars. To create the mesmerizing dual guitar energy, he reached out to the young musician and jazz arranger Leo Steinriede, who represents a new generation of artist/composers. The two wrote and recorded the song, Leo’s first foray into new age, after Shambhu’s return from Nepal, India and Thailand.
During the recording, Shambhu, who studied jazz arranging with Leo online during the pandemic, talked to him about the idea of leaving space in the music so listeners could fill in the blanks. Though coming of age in different generations, both are alumni of the Manhattan School of Music, which Shambhu says adds “a shared musical foundation to our collaboration.” The song is currently a popular almost daily spin on SiriusXM’s Spa channel.
Reflections’ second lead single “Montauk to Mexico” is a colorfully melodic, dreamy and sensual duet with ambient flugelhorn great Jeff Oster, who is renowned for his solo artistry and participation in the genre supergroup FLOW. Oster introduced Shambhu to FLOW’s Will Ackerman who produced the guitarist’s albums Sacred Love (2010) and Dreaming of Now (2013). The cool title shares the location of both artists, with Shambhu up in Long Island and Oster in Mexico. The longtime friends celebrate the spirit of their first jam session aboard a ferry boat in 2009 and many jams and collaborations they’ve had since. “This track serves as a testament to our ability to translate our surroundings into a musical language that transcends mere notes,” says Shambhu. “The sound is like a sonic postcard, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in the picturesque scene we have created.”
The album’s third key collaboration is the intimate, sweetly elegant and delicately jazzy “Destiny,” which reunites the guitarist with pianist and lifelong friend Geoffrey Menin, who also appeared on “Infinite Eyes” on Shambhu’s 2021 EP Heart Awakening. The two began playing music together at 19, when Menin was at Yale and Shambhu at Manhattan School of Music. While celebrating their deep friendship and brotherhood, the intoxicating duet explores the duality of the challenges and triumphs of life, reflecting on the quest to reach personal summits – just as Shambhu has done in his evolution from working musician to innovative new age artist.
Reflections offers many other simple, soothing pleasures, from the fourth lead single “Heart Bridge” (which taps into Shambhu’s philosophy that love is the ultimate currency in life) and joyful, exuberant “Sunshine Serenade” to the gently plucky “Wishes,” the gentle-hearted and optimistic “Hope Eternal” (a tribute to his late friend Apeksha Ron Bacci) and the shimmering closing track “Woodsy Green,” a rootsy musical expression of a walk through nature that invokes a sense of peace and connection to the world around us.
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