Roman Rhodes & The Born Again Pagans Ripe CD

"Like a flashing, shimmering silver wallJumping like lightening up a waterfall..."The compositions, words & world view of Roman Rhodes with the vivacity, virtuosity and potency of the Pagans.... "Will clear you head like a forest fire, wake your mind with the waking dreams sparking like a real live wire..." Roman Rhodes is a singer song writer with over 200 songs to his name. His songs cover a vast range of love, environmental, political, mythical and social-psychological themes in his unique blend of Country-Celtic-Roots-Rock, Lounge, 60s and satire, unified in a clear and conscious raising world view full of love, compassion, learning, wisdom and wit. Canadian born, Quebec raised, he now lives and performs in Japan/ His various experiences in work of all fields, travels, and studies of languages, the Classics and a Master's in history bring a richness to his songs with a witty, complete, conscious and compassionate world view. "Will heal your mind and heal your soul, Jump in it, drink it, it will make you whole..." Roman Rhodes from: "The Trees Once Grew High," From RIPE CD cover:The Born Again Pagans are a loose group of tight musicians from around the globe, (some of them drink a bit too). They now live in various parts of Japan and are an active part of its now thriving foreign music scene. The mix of various cultures, influences and genres spark in a creative chaos united within Rhodes' music which has brought them together, challenged them, and given their virtuosity free rein. Main Members include: Roman Rhodes: Guitar, Banjo, Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, Slide etc.Tim Wiltshire: Electric and Slide Guitars, Koto Harmonica, Banjo, Backing Vocals, etc.Atsushi Akazawa: Violin, Bazouki, Shamisen, Ukelele, Mandolin etc.Various contributing members (depending on gig)Kyoko Fukuzawa: keyboards & backing vocals.Reiko Daimon: OboeSatoka Yamasaki: FlutePaul Fleisher: Saxes, Flutes, Clarinets, Piccolo etc.Steve Muller: Piano, AccordionPast, presently out of touch or town, but probably future membersMark Williams: BassMaryse Dumas: FluteMoray Crawford Drums.Masa Suzuki: Electric guitar.Bill Karney: JembeEiko Endo: AccordionMore On Rhodes from Review:"Don’t blame the knowledge tree When it’s ignorance, fear and greed..." Roman Rhodes from the song Snake Eyes Roman Rhodes, as his name suggests is a wanderer: restless, curiously aligned in spirit to the original Provencal troubadors, who really did travel on Roman roads and kept alive the light from Eleusis. Today to be a true “country” musician is to have no country but the world. All ways lead home. You can map it out in his songs. He has made his musical pilgrimages, literally and figuratively, to Ireland, Africa, and South America. And, yes, he is Canadian too, following down some of the same roads as his famous fellow émigrés. His way, however, led to Japan, where he has found his own alternative to an American life. Born into a musical family'"his mother taught piano, his grandfather was a pianist'"songs are what he has made of this side of his inheritance, over two hundred to his name so far. Listen carefully'"the lyrics are as far ranging as the rhythms. He travels in time as well as space. He is highly literate and draws easily upon his intellectual interests; a master’s degree in Ancient History'"his father’s genes at work'"underpins his art and stance as a “born again pagan.” Don’t let the irony fool you. He is deeply committed to a humanly reasonable but radical agenda. It won’t hurt to state it here: worship the oneness in all its myriad energies and forms, protect the earth, decry ignorance, develop your inner daemon of potential, and appreciate the sensual world as the spiritual. On such principles, he has laid down well-made tracks meant to last a long time and, in good faith, to carry you away.Jonathan Brewer --Nara PoetryA