I named the album "Forces Joined" because there are Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu and English mantras on it. We all know that every spiritual path has its unique way of moving toward a destination. It is universally accomplished through a connection to the Divine. Mantra, prayer, song, in any language, all ask for or offer the same things: protection, guidance, affirmation, praise.

One morning, my Buddhist lama-son, Stanzin, called from the Himalayas to tell me the Dalai Lama was requesting that the "Om Tara" be chanted because of Covid-19 (it was the very beginning of the pandemic). Stanzin left a vocal note of it on my phone, and I played it for my producer, Thomas Barquee. Almost before we knew it, it was a track. You'll hear Lama Stanzin chanting at the beginning.

The "Ode to Durga" made its way to me through my friend Yogi Ma. She and I are members of a circle of women that meet on Saturday mornings. She had been doing some yogic studying and presented this particular mantra which resonated deeply with me. It just so happened it fit perfectly into a piece of music I had been working on. Voilà!

This project was started at the beginning of the pandemic. So, as you can imagine, there were a number of stops with that. But the situation also provided some other opportunities. Through his son, Paul, I was able to get the great horn player, Bob Mintzer, to play on several tracks. My musician cousin, the uber-creative Kassa Overall, also contributed on drums. These are jazz guys and their pairing added a contemporary and organic stripe to both the Sanskrit and English pieces. I not so sure if they'd have been available in "normal" times.

There are so many other synchronicities that could be listed. In contemplating the source, "Forces Joined" is so much more than the idea of mantras from various practices. Circumstances stretched time and opened space. People and mantras found their way to this project.

These circumstances also provided the forces of creative patience to find a way, and a serene will to know that all would come in its own time. I'm hoping to continue to have the vision to see opportunity, the strength to seize it, and the grace to enjoy it.

A deep and wide gratitude to the people, the sound current, and the flow of them all.