White Swan Records
I first listened to David Newman’s latest album, Travel Well, as I was giving him a lift back to the city from Bhakti Fest last Fall.
Still drunk on the bhav, David popped a disc of the final tracks into thecar CD player, and we floated back to Los Angeles on a cloud of sweetness and groove.
This, his ninth album, is David’s most personal yet. With tender tracks like “Change of Heart,” “New You,” and “Halo,” he offers us a glimpse at his deep inner transformation. Downtempo songs like “Summertime” and “Resting in Rasa” are joined by uptempo, danceable tracks like “Sri Guru Sharanam” and “Beloved’s Blues.” “Jai Hanuman” pumps along with a bright Afro-Caribbean brass section, sounding like it came straight from Carnivale.
Travel Well takes us on a well-rounded journey through a varied musical landscape, filled with an artful mix of English and Sanskrit, against a backdrop of masterful production. Stellar musicianship is provided by an all-star cast: David Watts on bass, Corey Sokoloff on drums, Philippo Franchini and David Newman on guitar and vocals, and angelic vocals by Mira, Emy Berti, Brenda McMorrow and Donna De Lory, among others. Newman dives deep so that he can soar high. He travels well, indeed.
Reviewed by Zoë Kors, a life coach and writer, who is Managing Editor of LA Yoga and a true Bhakta.
