Timeless

by Carol WrightFlautist Tim Wheater (also on keyboards) is joined by drummers Hossam Ramzy and Tim Franks, guitarist Norman Beaker, harpist Patricia Spero, and several background vocalists. Timeless is perhaps a good title for this album, both for its dreamy sections and because the cadence or trackable beat seems off at times. "Hummingbird," "Triangle Concerto," "Full Moon," and "The Wind of Freedom" are four songs with halting rhythms, somewhat like a tango, but lacking the inner pulse to keep the song on track. I often felt off-balance. "Call to Prayer" did stick to a Middle Eastern beat (perhaps thanks to drumming by Hossam Ramzy), and the vocal drones and floating flute melodies contrasted nicely with the sensuous undercurrent. "Manna" was also tied to a resonant electric bass beat, and the free-form radio static pulses and vocalist pulsed mysteriously around it. Going successfully the other way is "Paradise in the Palm of Your Hand"; its harp swirls and heady echoing flute notes remind one of floating in a lagoon of orchid blossoms. "Violet Steps" also tiptoes gracefully balancing between form and floating.