Mickey Hart's Mystery Box

Amazon.com Moving beyond the worldbeat percussion of Planet Drum and At the Edge, the Grateful Dead percussionist makes a pop crossover move in partnership with Sade producer Robin Millar and the English vocal sextet The Juleps. An automatic buy for Deadheads. --Jeff Bateman From the Label For Mickey Hart's Mystery Box, Mickey Hart set out to do one thing: to give voice to the drum. Hart crafted songs from the rhythmic foundation up, and that meant not just the beat, but the melody. To find the roots of these melodies, Mickey laid down the basic grooves with Planet Drum partners Zakir Hussain and Giovanni Hidalgo, and then turned to longtime Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter to complete the story with words. The voices, the last fundamental element of Hart's vision appeared in the form of the Mint Juleps, a remarkable a cappella group from Great Britain. Over the next two years, in between Grateful Dead tours, Mickey continued to refine the grooves, bringing in at various times such players as Airto, former Tower Of Power drummer David Garibaldi, Sikiru, and Youssou N'Dour's bass player, Habib Faye. While Hunter's words melded perfectly with Mickey's grooves, they really took flight when given voice by the Mint Juleps on songs that run the gamut from the soulful ("Where Love Goes (Sito)") to the surreal ("John Cage Is Dead"). Hart contributed the spoken vocals to several tracks, including the aptly titled "Only The Strange Remain" (a revised version of a semi-legendary Hunter/Hart tune that's been kicking around for years), "The Sandman" (an infectious piece featuring guitar work by Bob Weir), and what may be the album's emotional high point, "Down The Road," a beautiful evocation of departed heroes from Joe Hill to Jerry Garcia that also features Bruce Hornsby contributing impassioned vocals and some lilting accordion. To help achieve the album's distinctive sound, Hart enlisted the services of co-producer Robin Millar, who has crafted worldwide hits for the likes of Sade, Fine Young Cannibals and Kate Bush. The collaboration was a fortunate one, resulting in the perfect marriage of ancient and modern, earthy and cosmopolitan — irresistible dance grooves wedded to soaring voices and profoundly affecting words.
ASIN: B0000009Q2
VSKU: DBV.B0000009Q2.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Hart, Mickey
Binding: Audio CD
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: Individually inspected: Guaranteed to play perfectly or your money back. Case may show wear and may be in library packaging. Ships Fast!