caveinspiredmusic.com

RECORDINGS IN NATURAL CAVES

UNITED STATES

_____________________________________

Blacktail Ranch Cave Blacktail Ranch, Wolf Creek, Montana

RIC-US1 United States 2004

LIVE FROM THE SHAMAN’S CAVE * RIC – Native American – Ethnic – New Age – Spoken Word – Vocal & Instrumental –

Recorded in Cave – Cave Pic Cover Selections: 1. Awakening Flute – 0:27/ 2. SHAMAN’S CAVE INTRO – 0:53/ 3. Hanta Yo! (Intro) – 0:23/ 4. Hanta Yo! – 6:21/ 5. Welcome to Great Spirit (Intro) – 0:20/ 6. Welcome to Great Spirit – 4:38/ 7. Secret One (Intro) – 0:19/ 8. Secret One (Poem by Rumi & song by Zuleikha)– 3:23/ 9. Brothers and Sisters (Intro) – 0:19/ 10. Brothers and Sisters – 7:37/ 11. Blessing the Land (Intro) – 0:25 12. Blessing the land – 3:27/ 13. Flute Blessing – 0:23/ 14. ALTAR SONG (INTRO) – 0:24/ 15. Altar Song (Traditional) – 2:41/ 16. We Are Ceremony (Intro) – 0:27/ 17. We Are Ceremony – 6:00/ 18. Vision Wise (Intro) – 0:34/ 19. Vision Wise – 7:34/ 20. Calling Love (Intro) – 0:13/ 21. Calling Love – 5:37/ 22. Women’s Healing Song (Intro) – 0:23/ 23. Women’s Healing Song (Traditional) – 2:19/ 24. HEY NEY YA NAH (INTRO) – 0:22/ 25. Hey Ney Ya Nah – 2:50/ 26. Brooke’s Farewell – 0:34/ 27. Flute Farewell – 0:56 Comp: Brooke Edwards (Tks 12 & 21), Leslie Campbell (Tks 6, 17, & 19), Leah Wolfsong (Tk 4),

& Sandy Gunderson (Tk 10) Nar: Brooke Medicine Eagle (Tks 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, & 26)

Perf: BROOKE MEDICINE EAGLE [aka. Brooke Edwards] (vocal) (with flute & native drum) Prod: Brooke Medicine Eagle Prod. Co: (?) Rec. Eng: Richard Kuschel Time: (See above) CD: LIVE FROM THE SHAMAN’S CAVE

Brooke Medicine Eagle 6985 (Tks 1 – 27) Notes: Native American songs introduced and sung by Brooke Medicine Eagle in this shaman cave in the mountains of Montana. “Based in rural Montana, Brooke Edwards, aka. Brooke Medicine Eagle, is a veteran singer/songwriter who specializes in Native American music. Though Medicine Eagle includes some traditional Native American songs in her repertoire, she is not a purist when it comes to Native American music; some of her recordings have been traditional, but many of her original songs could be described as modern Native American folk-rock — and her albums have employed some world music instruments that aren't heard on totally traditional Native American recordings (for example, Chinese bamboo flutes)… While Medicine Eagle isn't a new age artist per se, her spiritual views have been influenced by the new age culture as well as Native American spirituality.” (Henderson 2013) The liner notes say that she is of Crow, Lakota, Nez Perce, and European descent.

For text of the Shaman’s Cave Introduction see under Spoken Word – Documentary – United States – Shaman’s Cave Intro, etc. – SW-DOC-US9. Brooke Medicine Eagle provides short introductions to each song or flute piece here, but only two of these relate to the cave.

Blacktail Ranch Cave is located on the south fork of the Dearborn River – “Steps have been built to the first room, a chamber about 10 feet in diameter… Several large rooms are grouped near the entrance, but most of the cave consists of low mud-filled crawlways. A total of 2,023 feet of passage has been surveyed and an estimated 400 feet of passage still remains unmapped… A short distance inside the entrance, bones and artifacts of early man were discovered by the owner in 1948, and pictographs are visible at the entrance. The age of the artifacts is unknown, but they may be more than 5,000 years old. The cave entrance was plugged with debris that had to be dug out before entrance could be made.” (Campbell 1978) A museum at the ranch has artifacts taken from the cave. The prehistoric

pictographs consist of one in red of the sun plus other symbols. Brooke Edwards sings with a clear, high voice in English or Native American, sometimes solo or with native drum backup and other times with flute either in accompaniment or as instrumental bridge. On WELCOME TO GREAT SPIRIT she is accompanied by a bass drum, which overrides her in the mix. Usually when Brooke sings with drum and shaker accompaniment her voice carries well, but the drum often resonates too powerfully in the cave chamber. In her introduction to ALTAR SONG she says – “This song which was heard at the grave site fifteen thousand years old is especially appropriate here in this cave of ancient peoples. With this sacred song I honor all those beings who have ever been within this cave and all those who have either sat or will sit in quiet ceremony around this shaman’s altar.” And in the intro to HEY NEY YA NAH she says – “This free chant shared with a friend by Ute children is a favorite of mine to sing in the vaulted chambers of this ceremonial cave. It represents a way to walk in the world, for beauty is our business, beauty within and beauty without, beauty all around us.” See also her cave-inspired music under World Music – United States – Native American – Ancestor Cave – WD-US1) Ref: Anon. 2013, Blacktail Ranch Story, Wolf Creek, Montana, blacktailranch Azure, B. L. 2012, Stipn Culture Camp Journeys East of the Divide to Blacktail Ranch, Char-Koosta News, charkoosta Blacktail Ranch Field School, Archaeological Institute of America, archaeological Brooke Medicine Eagle, Live from the Shaman’s Cave CD, Amazon (◄AUDIO SAMPLES) Brooke Medicine Eagle, Live from the Shaman’s Cave CD, CDBaby (◄AUDIO SAMPLES) Campbell, Newell P. 1978, Caves of Montana, Bull. 105, Montana College of Mineral Science & Technology, Butte, MT, p. 136-137 Henderson, Alex 2013, Brooke Medicine Eagle, Biography, Allmusic Watson, Richard 2009, email dated Sept. 23, 2009, Missoula, MT

_____________________________________________________ Bristow Cave Grassy Cove, Cumberland County, Tennessee RIC-US2 United States 2005

LIVE FROM BRISTOW CAVE * RIC – Country Rock – Vocal & Instrumental Selections: 1. Delicious Descent – 3:50/ 2.Cemetery Tree – 4:41/ 3. Wooden Mile Marker – 5:00/ 4. Serve and Deserve – 6:33/ 5. Bitch Wolf – 2:03/ 6. By the Time This Car Is Paid For – 4:21/ 7. The Brown and the Green – 3:10

Perf: GOODBYE SONS John Bristow (vocals, guitar, & mandolin) Joshua Hall (banjo, accordion, xylophone, & harmonica) Dave Sojka (guitar & mandolin)

Greg White (bass) Christopher Miller (drums, percussion, & harmonica) Prod. Co: Canaan Records; Waco, Texas Time: (See above) CD: LIVE FROM BRISTOW CAVE

John Bristow & Christopher Miller (No Cat. No.) (Tks 1 – 7) Notes: This five-piece country rock band is centered in Grassy Cove, Tennessee, a mountain hamlet west of Knoxville. “The group plays provocative contemporary rock, but with the instrumentation of traditional southern music.” (Anon. 2005) They recorded this album in Bristow Cave on Halloween 2004. The entrance of this undeveloped cave is 15 feet high and 50 feet wide and it opens into an impressive room 80 ft. wide, 40 ft. high, and 300 ft. long. (Barr 1961) The liner notes give more details – The band “invited friends and family to join them within the acoustical marvel of Bristow Cave, a karst cavern located on the family farm, for a performance of the band’s latest songs – music written specifically for this night and this setting. After the concept was hatched, the band had barely a month to write and rehearse,… but the idea was to provide brand new material which would highlight the aura and wonderment of this subterranean studio. The Band set up on a ledge overlooking the creek that runs through the bottom of the cave, with no electricity – only torches and candles to see by. The music was recorded live with a stereo mic running into a laptop, using one stereo track, incorporating the natural echoing sounds of a cave into the recording – dripping water, falling stones, possibly even bat wings. The result is a crisp recording that reflects a gamut of styles and moods, from gloomy lament to symbols of love, from sociopolitical commentary to spiritual musings, even the tale of a haunted stretch of highway.” Ref: Anon. 2005, Album Notes, Live from Bristow Cave CD, CDBaby (◄AUDIO SAMPLE) Anon. 2012, Grassy Cove, Tennessee, Geology, Wikipedia Goodbye Sons, Live from Bristow Cave CD, Amazon (◄AUDIO SAMPLES) Barr, Thomas C. 1961, Caves of Tennessee, State of Tennessee, Division of Geology, Bull. 64, Nashville, TN, p. 139

_____________________________________________________ Carlsbad Caverns Carlsbad, New Mexico

RIC-US3 United States 1999

Carlsbad Caverns - New Mexico – Interior Sounds

Entrance to Bat Rookery RIC – Bat Sounds

Prod. Co: Earth Ear; Santa Fe, NM Rec. Eng: David Dunn Liner Notes: (96-page book) Pages 67-72 Time: (Tk 29) 1:08; (Tk 30) 1:34 CD: WHY DO WHALES AND CHILDREN SING? Label: Earth Ear (No Catalog No.) (Tks 29 & 30)

Notes: A charming book and CD introducing people to sounds in nature, which is “about coming to a better understanding of how we listen to things.” Two of the four selections recorded at Carlsbad Caverns were made inside the cave. INTERIOR SOUNDS – Recorded deep inside the cave, we hear the sound of water drops near and far, intermittent and regular. Also a sort of rushing sound which is the bat colony. The short text that accompanies this selection says “only drips of water are audible and sometimes the creaking of the cave walls.” Well, cave walls don’t creak. ENTRANCE TO BAT ROOKERY – The sound of water drops carries over into this selection and we start to gradually hear the fluttering of bat wings in the cave. Dunn writes – “… we can hear the wing motion of the bats as they fly through the

darkness above my head. We can barely discern the sounds of their high frequency chirps. Those sounds are mostly out of the range of our hearing but once in awhile the pitch descends just into the upper limit of what we can distinguish from the rushing sounds of flight.” For more information on the bat recordings on this CD see under Spoken Word – Bats & Birds – United States – Carlsbad Caverns. Ref: Dunn, David 1999, Why Do Whales and Children Sing?, Earth Ear, p. 15, 22, 67-72, 90-91, & 96 Dunn, David 1999, Why Do Whales & Children Sing?, Scan of book – 96p., wordpress Why Do Whales and Children Sing? CD, CDBaby Why Do Whales and Children Sing? A Guide to Listening to Nature, earthear

_____________________________________________________ Echo Amphitheatre Carson National Forest, Abiquiu, New Mexico

RIC-US4 West Germany 1984

ECHO CANYON * RIC – Jazz – Instrumental – Cave Pic Cover Selections: Side One – 1. Echo Canyon – 6:44/ 2. O'Keeffe – 4:50/ 3. Ise – 5:33/ 4. Kamakura – 7:55/ 5. Land of Enchantment – 5:43 Side Two – 1. Nocturne # 1 – 6:29/ 2. Ritual Distance – 6:54/ Nocturne # 2 – 4:44/ 4. Firebreath – 4:55 Comp: James NEWTON Rts: Janew Music (ASCAP)

Perf: James NEWTON (C-flute, Bolivian woodflute, & bass flute)

Prod: James Newton, Stephen Hill, & Echart Rahn Prod. Co: Celestial Harmonies; Wilton, CT Rec. Eng: Stephen Hill Rec. Date: Sept. 5-7, 1984 Liner Notes: Stephen Hill Time: (See above) 1. LP: ECHO CANYON

Celestial Harmonies CEL 012 12” 33rpm (Sides 1 & 2) LP Cover of Echo Amphitheatre at Night

2. CD: ECHO CANYON (1991) Celestial Harmonies 13012 (Tks 1 to 9)

Notes: These jazz flute pieces were all recorded on location in the New Mexican desert in a vast, shell-shaped sandstone overhang cave, “over twenty stories high and more than a thousand feet wide.” Some might not even consider this a cave because its width and height are greatly superior to its depth but, the author field checked it and found the overhang sufficient to give the feeling of a huge shelter cave. Stephen Hill writes in the liner notes – “At 7,000 feet elevation, sound travels one foot in a thousandth of a second. It you clap your hands, you will hear two distinct echoes from the left and right about a quarter-second and a half-second from the original sound, followed by an enormous cloud of reverberation as the impulse diffuses to the farthest reaches of the canyon. It is an intoxicating, amazingly beautiful sound environment.” Regarding the technical problems encountered during the recording he says – “There was no electricity within four miles, so everything would have to be battery powered… The Sony digital equipment was easy – we ran it from a BMW motorcycle battery… it became obvious that we would only be able to record at night when the tourists were asleep and the traffic on the highway really was occasional. Even so, many incredible tracks had to be scrapped due to the distant, threatening rumble/ roar of trucks.” Ref: Echo Amphitheater, Abiquiu and Around, abiquiuandaround James Newton, Biography, Wikipedia James Newton, Echo Canyon CD, Amazon (◄AUDIO SAMPLES) James Newton, Echo Canyon CD, CDUniverse (◄AUDIO SAMPLES) James Newton, Echo Canyon LP, Discogs

_____________________________________________________ Fantastic Caverns Springfield, Missouri RIC-US5 United States 1970

THE FANTASTIC THRASHERS AT FANTASTIC CAVERNS * RIC – Gospel – Popular – Choral – Cave Pic Cover Selections: Side One – 1. Daddy Sang Bass (Perkins) – 2:13/ 2. What a Wonderful Day (Moescheo) – 2:50/ 3. My America (Goff) – 2:18/ 4. Jesus Is Coming Soon (Winsett) – 2:15/ 5. Keep on the Firing Line – 1:42/ 6. How Great Thou Art (Hine) – 2:27 Side Two – 1. When We All Get to Heaven (Wilson) – 1:28/ 2. I Just Came to Talk with You, Lord (Rambo) – 3:17/ 3. Our Land (Goff) – 2:01/ 4. I’m Saved (arr. Goff) – 1:29/ 5. He Looked Beyond My Fault (Rambo) – 3:24/ 6. Where We Ever Shall Be (Goff) – 2:14

Perf: THE FANTASTIC THRASHERS Randy McDaniel Joe Thrasher Jim Thrasher Buddy Thrasher Ellis Hill Jerry Goff Prod. Co: Canaan Records; Waco, Texas Time: (See above) LP: THE FANTASTIC THRASHERS AT FANTASTIC CAVERNS

Canaan CAS-9677-LP 12" 33rpm (stereo) (Sides 1 & 2)

Notes: The Thrashers are primarily a gospel-singing sextet but there are some popular songs on this album. They are shown on the LP cover (from left to right as listed above) standing in front of a massive column near the entrance of this show cave. Further back in the cave is The Auditorium, reportedly 22,000 feet square, where a stage and a concrete square dance floor were set up. For the NSS Convention in 1968 the campground was on the Fantastic Caverns property. On the evening of August 21 a talk on the Hollöch System in Switzerland by Alfred Bögli was held in The Auditorium followed by a Bar B-Q and a Costume Ball with Lloyd Evans and the Farmarama Band playing country music. (Anon. 1968) It was here that this concert was held in 1970. The liner notes describe the scene – “The underground auditorium was packed and jammed. The dripping water, the underground river in the background, the weird effect of the lights off moist stalagmites were all made to come alive by the sparkling sound of the Thrashers. The successive echoes of the music throughout the caverns were superceded (sic) only by the enthusiastic applause… During the performance, and much to the delight of the audience, the cameras were grinding away making a film to be seen coast to coast on the syndicated television show ‘America Sings.’ … The sound of the twin trumpets, the hollow deep reverb of the electric bass, the clatter of the drums, the 20 fingers on the piano keyboard never sounded more graceful, more ecstatic, and more captivating than the night they echoed through the rocks and formations of Fantastic Caverns.” This “LP was named one of the top five gospel music albums of 1969 at the Gospel Music Association awards ceremony.” (Anon. 1970) Ref: Anon. 1968, Fantastic Caverns Sponsors Ball, NSS Conventiongram ’68, v. 1, n. 3, Springfield, MO, p. 1 Anon. 1970, Shepherd of Hills Farm to Issue 6 Promotion LP’s, Billboard, Sept. 5, 1970, p. 63, google.fr Canaan Records, Discography, Wikipedia Fantastic Caverns, Data, Wikipedia Fantastic Caverns, Home site, fantasticcaverns The Fantastic Thrashers at Fantastic Caverns LP, Amazon The Fantastic Thrashers at Fantastic Caverns LP, worldcat

_____________________________________________________

Fern Grotto Wailua River, Kauai, Hawaiian Islands

RIC-US6 Hawaiian Islands ca.Mid 1950s

SUNG IN THE WAILUA RIVER FERN GROTTO * RIC – Spoken Word – World – Vocal & Instrumental

Comp: (Traditional) Nar: (?)

Perf: SINGING DRIVER-GUIDES OF ACHORS’ GRAY LINE – Kauai Motor Tours

Prod Co: Gray Line Rec. Co: Associated Recorders Ltd.; Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands Time: (Intro – 0:52) & (Song – 3:48) EP: YOUR TRIP TO KAUAI

Gray Line FB-2614 7" 45rpm (EP) (Side 2 only)

Notes: Numerous maidenhair ferns hang down from the ceiling of this deep, wide shelter cave creating a romantic setting in the dense jungle. During the Hawaiian folk concerts, the audience stands in the cave while the musicians, singers, and dancers perform out under the trees on the flat ground facing the cave flanked on either side by high cliffs. This cave could be considered more than a mere shelter cave for a crawlway at the back end goes for over three meters into the dark zone. A mixed choral group performs this song with the male voices in the foreground and a soprano female voice in the background. This side two allegedly was recorded in and near this renowned shelter cave, but it could just as easily been recorded in a studio using sound and echo effects. For the spoken introduction see under Spoken Word – Documentary – United States – Sung in the Wailua River Fern Grotto – SW-DOC-US12 . Given the cardboard EP cover and the general presentation, this record was dated to the mid-1950s. At that time Hawaii was still a territory as it only became a state in 1959. The Gray Line Tours of Wailua River still existed in 2010, but the Kauai Motor Tours has disappeared. Ref: Fern Grotto Tour, Kauai Activity Center, kauaiactivitycenter Gurnee, Russell & Jeanne 1980, Gurnee Guide to American Caves, Zephyrus Press Inc., Teaneck, NJ, p. 72 Singing Drivers’ Guides to Anchors’ Gray Line, The Kauai Motor Tours 45, Discogs

________________________________ RIC-US7 United States ca.1960s

KAUAI'S FERN GROTTO SINGERS * RIC – World – Vocal & Instrumental – Cave Pic Cover Selections: Side One – 1. Ke Kali Nei Au (The Wedding Song) – 2:54/ 2. Nani Wale Lihue Side Two – 1. Lei Aloha Lei Makamae/ 2. He U'I Maoli No Comp: C. KING

Perf: (Sd 1a & 2a) LANI JIM & Ili WAALANI (vocals)

(Sd 1b) KAUAI'S FERN GROTTO SINGERS (female choral group)

(Sd 2b) Vickie RODRIGUES, LANI JIM, & Annie HOLT

Prod: Tommy Kearns Prod. Co: Waikiki Records Co.; Honolulu Rec. Co: Waikiki Records Co.; Kauai Time: (?) 1. EP: KAUAI'S FERN GROTTO SINGERS

Waikiki EP-601 7" 45rpm (EP) (Sides 1 & 2)

2. Reissue (The Wedding Song) on Compilation LP: HAWAII’S SUNSET MELODIES (1965)

Waikiki (?) 12” 33rpm (Sd 2 – Bd 7)

3. Reissue (The Wedding Song) on Compilation CD: HAWAII’S SUNSET MELODIES (1996) Waikiki 332 (Tk 13)

Notes: When the concerts are given at the Fern Grotto the audience stands under this large shelter cave overhung with luxuriant ferns while the singers and choral groups perform out under the trees on the flat ground facing the cave flanked on either side by high cliffs. But the liner notes clearly state that – "The perfect tones from the songs are reflected from the lush dome of the fern grotto," and the cover says that the disc was “recorded at Kauai,” which all seems to indicate that these songs were recorded at the cave site and not in a studio. Ref: Kauai’s Fern Grotto Singers, The Wedding Song, Discogs Hawaii’s Sunset Melodies CD, Allmusic (◄AUDIO SAMPLE)

________________________________ RIC-US8 United States ca.1960s

THE FERN GROTTO * THE WEDDING SONG MAMA AKUA LONO * RIC – World – Vocal & Instrumental – Spoken Word – Cave Pic Cover Comp: (Traditional)

Nar: Walter SMITH Sr.

Perf: SMITH FAMILY FERN GROTTO SINGERS Prod: Tommy Kearns Prod. Co: Sounds of Hawaii Inc.; Honolulu, Hawaii

Time: 0:37; 3:55; & 1:37 LP: SAILING ALONG THE WAILUA RIVER

Sounds of Hawaii LPS 100 (Gatefold cover) 12” 33rpm (Side 1 – Bds 1 to 3)

Notes: The first selections start with Captain Walter Smith briefly describing the scene at Fern Grotto and introducing the famous Hawaiian song – “Now with the help of Nature’s acoustics members of the Smith family will sing for you The Hawaiian Wedding Song – Ke Kali Neu Au.” The song is followed with what sounds like canned applause and then Captain Smith returns, this time with his voice in an echo chamber so as to sound like he is in the cave, to tell about the traditions associated with this cave. See under Spoken Word – Documentary – United States – The Fern Grotto – SW-DOC-US5. Ref: Anon. 2010, Smith’s Fern Grotto Tours, Wailua River, smithskauai A Collection of Exotic Albums, rateyourmusic Captain Walter Smith Sr., Sailing along the Wailua River LP, Discogs

_____________________________________________________ Great Saltpeter Cave Mount Vernon, Kentucky

RIC-US9 United States 2001

DRUMMING INSIDE MOTHER EARTH * RIC – World Fusion – Percussion – Experimental – Instrumental

Selections: 1. Drums for Spirits – 3:32/ 2. Clockish – 4:05/ 3. An Interesting Fonga – 4:29/ 4. Just Getting’ Started – 4:22/ 5. Big Stomp – 4:51/ 6. Whippoorwill – 4:08/ 7. Instant Success – 3:08/ 8. Yee Haw – 5:50/ 9. Clueless – 3:19/ 10. Mother’s Heartbeat – 5:56/ 11. Ceremony – 5:05/ 12. Release the Night – 4:58 Comp: (?)

Perf: MOTHERDRUM

Hazen Frick (drums) Juan Ortiz (drums) Billy Sprague (drums) Prod Co: Allan Hays Co. Time: (See above) CD: DRUMMING INSIDE MOTHER EARTH Allan Hays (No Cat. No.) (Tks 1 to 12) LP: DRUMMING INSIDE MOTHER EARTH Allan Hays (No Cat. No.) 12” 33rpm (Sides 1 & 2) Notes: An entire concert of tribal drum and percussion music recorded unrehearsed and live in the Great Saltpeter Cave near Mount Vernon, Kentucky. “The cave’s existence was first documented in 1789 and reported to president Thomas Jefferson in 1805. It was used mostly for mining the ingredients for gunpowder. The cave in recent years has been used for barn dances with several unsuccessful attempts at creating a commercial venture. MotherDrum began as a small group of people drumming beneath the Discovery Bridge in Columbus, Ohio. The bridge’s reverberation led the group to search for another sight, ultimately leading to the cave and its unexplored revelations.” (Diliberto n.d.) “The project evolved from a series of spiritual retreats, featuring as many as 30 people drumming together by candlelight in the great Echo Auditorium inside the cave. There were three gatherings in all; each one was recorded for historic preservation.” (Anon. n.d.)

The photo of Echo Auditorium is by Nathan Williams, 2005. One critic was not too impressed by this effort – “Drumming Inside Mother Earth is either an incredibly moving, spiritual experience or tacky hippie experiment. Individual biographies are not included, so it is unclear what sort of percussion expertise each "musician" has… Fractured beats, inconsistent rhythms, as well as lame, repetitious pounding all echoing around a large cavern could either describe the latest industrial entry from Einstürzende Neubauten or this disc. The real star of the album is the Great Saltpeter Cave itself, a natural instrument that

deserves to be played by more accomplished musicians.” (Collar 2013) The liner notes give a short history of the Great Saltpeter Cave telling of the mining of saltpeter, the use of the cave for the Renfro Valley Barn Dances, and the 1989 private purchase of the cave followed by management by the NSS (National Speleological Society) Greater Cincinnati Grotto. Ref: Anon. n.d., About the Motherdrum Project, motherdrum Collar, Matt 2013, Review, Drumming inside Mother Earth LP, AllMusic (◄AUDIO SAMPLES) Diliberto, Chuck n.d., Music Reviews, awarenessmag Engel, Scott & Annette 1998, Great Saltpeter Cave, Geology & Archeology, rkci.org Great Saltpeter Cave, Tourist brochure, rkci.org Great Saltpeter Preserve, The Rockcastle Karst Conservancy, caves.org MotherDrum, About Great Saltpeter Cave, motherdrum MotherDrum, Drumming inside Mother Earth CD, CDUniverse (◄AUDIO SAMPLES)

________________________________ RIC-US10 United States 2003

MOTHER’S HEARTBEAT NA – World Fusion – Percussion – Instrumental

Selections: 1. Cadence – 5:38/ 2. The Summoning – 5:32/ 3. Tribal Gathering – 6:13/ 4. ECHO AUDITORIUM – 4:01/ 5. A Faraway Place – 2:06/ 6. Nada (Universal Heartbeat) – 3:35/ 7. Medicine Wheel – 4:32/ 8. Midsummer – 3:39/ 9. Trance Dance – 8:22/ 10. The Journey – 3:08/ 11. Widdershins – 7:09 Comp: (?)

Perf: MOTHERDRUM Hazen Frick (drums)

Juan Ortiz (drums) Billy Sprague (drums) Prod Co: Allan Hays Co. Time: (See above) CD: MOTHER’S HEARTHBEAT Motherdrum 392 (Tks 1 to 11) Notes: Other live performances in the Echo Auditorium by this percussion group. Presumably this is a supplementary album to the previous one, using unreleased pieces that were recorded earlier. “With the exception of some haunting flute melodies [Tracks 3, 7, 8, 10, & 11], the album is almost solely percussion, and Motherdrum's shifting rhythms, accents, and emphasis on repetition is alluring.” (Rovi 2013) Track 4 is dedicated to and inspired by the Echo Auditorium in the Great Saltpeter Cave (for more information see under New Age Music – United States – Echo Auditorium). Ref: MotherDrum, About the Motherdrum Project, motherdrum MotherDrum, About Great Saltpeter Cave, motherdrum MotherDrum, Mother’s Heartbeat CD, CDBaby (◄4 AUDIO SAMPLES) Rovi 2013, MotherDrum, Mother’s Heartbeat CD, Allmusic (◄AUDIO SAMPLES)

_____________________________________________________ Longhorn Cavern Burnet, Texas

RIC-US11 United States 2004

LIVE AT LONGHORN CAVERN * RIC – Country – Bluegrass – Vocal & Instrumental – Cave Pic Cover Selections: 1. Where the Water Must Go – 3:59/ 2. Your Valentine (with Kelly Jo Pichon) – 4:32/ 3. Something Borrowed and Blue – 4:34/ 4. Whirlaway – 4:20/ 5. Lost Angel Wings – 6:23/ 6. Momma – 2:47/ 7. Holding On and Letting Go – 4:25/ 8. Is That You – 3:20/ 9. Concrete Cowgirls – 4:20/ 10. A Kiss and That’s All – 3:26/ 11. Unbroken Man – 4:30/ 12. Last Thing On My Mind (Tom Paxton) – 4:03 Comp: Alton Rex (Unless noted)

Perf: Alton REX (lead vocal & guitar) Steven Doster (lead guitar) Chris Beirne (Dobro guitar) Chico Oropeza (mandolin & harmony vocal) Lee Duffy (harmony vocal) Prod: Stephen Doster Prod. Co: Laughing Boy Records; Austin, TX Rec. Co: Crystal Fire Studios; Austin, TX Rec. Eng: Harry Roberts Rec. Date: March 27, 2004 Time: (See above) CD: LIVE AT LONGHORN CAVERN

Laughing Boy (No Catalog No.) (Tks 1 – 12) Notes: An entire album of mostly slow-paced songs written by Alton Rex and recorded live with his country music band in the “main chamber” of this Texas show cave. The audience applauds after each number. At the end of the second song Rex takes time to explain – “I’ve been doing this simple sounds concert series since last May of last year and when I got the idea to do a live record I realized that this was the place to do it because you won’t have to have a live PA [public address speaker system] in the room to fight with on the recording side of things. Also we’re gonna…we’re not using any reverb in the recording tonight, we’re gonna get the ambient sound of the cave, the part of it that’s recording.” He then proceeds to introduce the other musicians. “Four of Rex’s favorite pickers join him for this performance and the cavern quickly becomes the sixth instrument. The music is a continuation of Rex’s writing skills.” (Anon. n.d.)

A "speakeasy" nightclub with dancing and a live orchestra was operated here during the Prohibition days of the 1920s in that part of the cave, which is now called the Lunch Room. It became a popular nightspot for the residents of the Llano-Burnet area. The old entrance, which was sealed in 1935, provided access directly into the Indian Council Room, which adjoins the Lunch Room. A large wooden dance floor occupied most of the room, which is 18 meters long and 12m wide with a ceiling height varying between 7 to 9 meters. (Matthews 1963) An old photo shows the orchestra installed in a slightly higher wall niche. The “main chamber” mentioned by Alton Rex as the venue for the concert was probable the old Lunch Room. Ref: Alton Rex, Where the Water Must Go, from Live at Longhorn Cavern CD, altonrex (◄COMPLETE AUDIO SAMPLE) Anon. n. d., Alton Rex, Live at Longhorn Cavern CD, mytexasmusic (◄AUDIO SAMPLES) Longhorn Cavern State Park, Texas Parks & Wildlife, state.tx Longhorn Cavern State Park, Info, Wikipedia Matthews, William III 1963, The Geologic Story of Longhorn Cavern, Bureau of Economic Geology, Guidebook 4, Austin, TX, p. 4, 6, 33-34 McCorkle, Rob 2004, A Cave with a Past; TPW Magazine, Dec. 2004, tpwmagazine

_____________________________________________________ Lost River Caverns Hellertown, Pennsylvania RIC-US12 United States 2005

LOST CAVE * RIC – Folk – Celtic – Old Time – Blues – Ragtime – Vocal & Instrumental Selections: 1. Dark River – 1:46/ 2. Cold Frosty Morning – 6:34/ 3. The Water Is Wide – 2:59/ 4. LOST RIVER RAG – 3:39/ 5. Sister Bay Hambo (Gerhard Bernhard) – 3:27/ 6. Haste to the Wedding/ The Joys of Wedlock – 4:34/ 7. Give Me Your Hand (Ruainn Dall O’Catháin) – 4:42/ 8. Mairi’s Wedding – 2:43/ 9. The Athol Highlander – 3:14/ 10. Carolan’s Welcome (Turlough O’Carolan) / Timour the Tarter – 5:47/ 11. Fine Spring Day (Cliff Cole) – 0:35/ 12. Morpeth Rant (William Shield) – 2:14/ 13. Oh, Shenandoah – 1:50/ 14. Wet Rainy Day at the Faire (A.J. Bashore) – 2:42/ 15. Deep River Blues – 4:00/ 16. Woody’s Rag (Woody Guthrie) – 2:01/ 17. The Chrysanthemum (Scott Joplin) – 5:07/ 18. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning – 3:32/ 19. La Valse pour les Jeunes Filles – 4:24 Comp: (As noted)

Perf: DAYBREAK Cliff Cole (vocals, guitar, & hammered dulcimer) Anna Lisa Yoder (violin, bouzouki, & mandolin) Rob Yoder (vocals, concertina, bouzouki,

harp, guitar, & bass recorder) Trudy Yoder (cello & vocals) Emily Cole (vocals & tin whistle) Lydia Yoder (violin, mandolin, djembe, & bodhrán) Seth Yoder (hammered dulcimer) A.J. Bashore II (Appalachian mountain dulcimer) Rob Fedorczyk (Dobro guitar) Prod. Co: Daybreak Records Rec. Co: Morningstar Studios Rec. Eng: Dave Schonauer & Glenn Barratt Rec. Date: April-May 2005 Time: (See above) CD: LOST RIVER CAVERNS – “LOST CAVE” Daybreak 1345 (Tks 1 – 19) Notes: To commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the cave opening to the public, the owner of the cave asked this family group to come and record in the cave. This show cave was first discovered during quarrying operations in 1883 and "the earliest use of the cave was for dancing on summer nights." A small dance platform was "built in a wide room 200 feet from the

entrance, and the low temperature, 50° F, made its use enjoyable and attracted many people before the turn of the century." (Stone, 1953) Around 1900 a trolley company developed it as a dance hall. (Uhl, 1984) Then in 1930 “the property was bought by E.C. Gilman, who excavated the entrance and made improvements.” (Gurnee 1980) The Daybreak musicians had played for the wedding of Beverly (Gilman) Rosewicz in 1990 so it was she who asked them to come again. In April and May 2005 two recording sessions were held in the cave. The Daybreak Web site tells the story – “We played our music throughout the night after the cave was closed. As we played, our engineer, Dave Schonauer, recorded it all from the cave entrance. We ran a cable snake 300 feet down into the cavern for all our inputs.” For the other session “Our good friend A.J. Bashore II started off session 2 with a mountain dulcimer solo tune. Then he joined with the rest of us to form a 7-piece ensemble... We again played our music late into the night while our engineer Glenn Barratt [shown behind his console in the cave] captured it all. Our children did a great job of staying focused even when it was far past their bedtimes.” (Anon. 2012)

Some interesting information about certain tracks – 1. DARK RIVER – A solo bass recorder piece mimicking the sound of a Native American flute. Rob Yoder used the cave’s natural phreatic tubes as a resonant sound chamber. 4. LOST RIVER RAG – Cliff Cole’s own three-part ragtime piece written especially for Lost River Caverns. (See under World Music – United States – Lost River Rag – WD-US7) 14. WET RAINY DAY AT THE FAIRE – “This four-part jig melody is played only on the melody strings with ample use of traditional drones. Listen for the musical drips in this sweet, soggy piece.” 18. KEEP YOUR LAMPS TRIMMED AND BURNING – Good advice for an old time caver or a cave guide of old. Rob Yoder learned this finger-style guitar piece from guitarist and teacher Eric Logosch. The cover photo used a photo of the musicians, dressed in period outfits, and laid it over an old photo of the main office building taken in 1948. The back cover and the CD label show two different old photos of people going into the cave entrance building while nearby stands a 1930s-style boxy truck with the old name of the cave, “Lost Cave,” painted on its side. Ref: Anon. 2005, Lost Cave CD, CDBaby (◄AUDIO SAMPLES) Anon. 2012, Daybreak, The Lost Cave Sessions & Photos, daybreakfolk & Info on Lost Cave CD, daybreakfolk

Daybreak, Lost Cave CD, Allmusic (◄AUDIO SAMPLES) Gurnee, Russell & Jeanne 1980, Gurnee Guide to American Caves, Zephyrus Press Inc., Teaneck, NJ, p. 177-178 Lost River Caverns, Home Site, lostcave Lost River Caverns, Info, showcaves Stone, Ralph W. 1953, Commercial Caves of Pennsylvania, The American Caver, Bull. 15, National Speleological Society, p. 45 Uhl, Jeff 1984, (Article), Pack Rat Scat, Summer 1984; Mentioned in Mike Dyas Digest, NSS News, v. 43, n. 1, Jan. 1984, p. 9

_____________________________________________________ Luray Caverns Luray, Virginia

THE GREAT STALACPIPE ORGAN BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

These records deserve a very special place in this speleo-discography for here the musical instrument is the cave itself. Because of this, the stalacpipe organ, an electrically actuated lithophone, has been dubbed the “world’s largest musical instrument.” It was designed in 1956 by Leland Sprinkle who spent three years to harness electronically a series of 37 specially selected stalactites and draperies in an area around the Ball Room of Luray Caverns. The photo

by M. Lachovitch shows Sprinkle testing a stalactite for pitch. Unfortunately for the conservation of the cave, individual

stalactites were ground down to give the proper pitch and then rigged with a rubber-tipped, solenoid-actuated mallet device. The organ can be played manually on a console with four keyboards, a pedal board, and a versatile set of couplers that allow for a wide range of effects. It can also be operated automatically by a specially perforated plastic belt mechanism similar to the system used in antique music boxes. The listener is actually standing inside the instrument to hear it play. Occasionally, this "stone music" is

complimented by the plip-plop of dripping water. Regarding the first experiments in speleothem percussion

music or speleolithophonic music in Luray Caverns, we are told that – “The first time Andrew Campbell [co-discover of the cave in 1878] visited the cave beyond Muddy Lake he had tapped out a tune on it [the Saracen’s Tent drapery]. The Organ soon became a popular part of the tour. In

honor of the Major [Brand] and Dr. [Horace C.] Hovey the selections for this visit included ‘Yankee Doodle’ and ‘My Maryland.’ “ (Gurnee 1978) This old photo by J. D. Strickler showing two cave guides tapping out a tune was issued in a series of postcards ca.1906.

“By the early 20th century, performances of folk tunes, hymns, and other well-known pieces were a regular part of guided tours. According to the modern guided tour, Sprinkle is said to have conceived the idea for the Great Stalacpipe Organ during one of these performances when

he toured Luray Caverns on his son's birthday in 1954.” (Anon. 2012) Ref: Anon. 2012, The Great Stalacpipe Organ, Wikipedia Anon., Underground Rock 'N' Roll, Mechanics Illustrated, Dec. 1957, p. 74 Anon., Cavern Console, Travel, Dec. 1957, p. 17 Cavedo, Kermit B. n.d., The Great Stalacpipe Organ (Press Release), Luray, VA, 7p. The Great Stalacpipe Organ in the Beautiful Caverns of Luray (Brochure), Luray, VA, 7p. Gurnee, Russell H. 1978, Discovery of Luray Caverns, Virginia, R. H. Gurnee Inc., Closter, NJ, p. 69, 77 Luray Caverns, Info, Wikipedia Luray Caverns, Stalacpipe Organ, Home Site, luraycaverns Nichols, Mark, Cathedral in A Cave, Coronet, Apr.1958, p. 43 Wood, F. Dorothy, The Organ That Plays Stalactites, Popular Mechanics, Sept. 1957, p.128-131, 242, 244

________________________________ RIC-US13 United States ca.Early1960s

THE GREAT STALACPIPE ORGAN * RIC – Classical – Religious Hymn – Popular – Speleolithophonic – Instrumental – Spoken Word – Cave Pic Cover Selections:

Side One – 1. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Luther)/ 2. Beautiful Dreamer (Foster)/ 3. Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms (Irish air)/ 4. America (Carey) Side Two – 1. Prelude in A (Chopin)/ 2. Minuet in A (Boccherini)/ 3. Dance of the Blessed Spirits (Gluck) Arr: L. Sprinkle & C.T. Chapman Nar: John BATCHELDER

Perf: Leland W. SPRINKLE (stalacpipe organ) Prod. Co: Luray Caverns; Virginia Rec. Eng: Whitford L. Hall Liner Notes: Dorothy & Francis E. Wood Time: (?) 1. EP: THE GREAT STALACPIPE ORGAN

(No label) LC 200 (mono) 2. Second Edition EP: THE GREAT STALACPIPE ORGAN

(No label) LC 200 (mono) 3. Reissue EP: (Same title) (ca. Mid1970s)

(No label) LC 200 (mono) Spec: (Nos. 1 & 2) 7" 45rpm (EP) (Sides 1 & 2) (No. 3) 7" 33rpm (EP) (Sides 1 & 2) Notes: Among the seven musical selections on this record, which were created live during a performance of the organ, the one that comes across best is the first, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." It displays well the deep tonal range of the instrument whereas some of the other pieces seem to emerge as nothing more than tinkling, monotone sounds. The hesitations between each note might have been necessary due to the acoustics of the cave chamber. If the notes followed too closely on each other, echoes would start to build up and an unpleasant muddled effect would result. This "muddy" effect can be noticed in a few spots where the tempo was increased. For the spoken introduction see under Spoken Word – Documentary – United States – the Great Stalacpipe Organ – SW-DOC-US2) The only difference between the original and the reissue EP, other than the different cover photo, is the turntable speed. The first plays at 45rpm and the second at 33rpm. Part of the introduction and the first selection, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," was included in the NSS Audio-Visual Aids program, "Caves on Phonograph Records" which I had first presented at the 1967 NSS Convention held in Huntsville and Birmingham, Alabama. Ref: Anon. 2012, The Great Stalacpipe Organ, Wikipedia Leland W. Sprinkle & John Batchelder, The Great Stalacpipe Organ, Discogs

________________________________ RIC-US14 United States ca.1980s

THE GREAT STALACPIPE ORGAN * RIC – Classical – Religious Hymn – Popular – Speleolithophonic – Instrumental – Cave Pic Cover Selections: Side One – 1. Shenandoah (Trad.)/ 2. Gloria (French carol)/ 3. The Old Rugged Cross (Bennard)/ 4. Beautiful Dreamer (Foster) Side Two – 1. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Luther)/ 2. Silent Night, Holy Night (Gruber)/ 3. America the Beautiful (Ward)/ 4. Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms (Irish air)/ 5. God Be with You Till We Meet Again (Tomer) Arr: Leland W. Sprinkle

Perf: Leland W. SPRINKLE (stalacpipe organ) Prod. Co: Luray Caverns; Virginia Rec. Eng: Grafton Campbell Liner Notes: Dorothy & Francis E. Wood Time: (?) EP: THE GREAT STALACPIPE ORGAN [Second edition]

(No label) X-459311 & 12 (stereo) 7" 33rpm (EP) (Sides 1 & 2)

Notes: This is a second, different edition EP of re-recordings of the stalacpipe organ in Luray Caverns. Three of the more successful

tunes from the first album were re-recorded here in stereo and six additional melodies were performed. A different recording engineer worked here and coincidently his name was Campbell. The Campbell family of Luray have owned and operated this cave for generations since the cave was first discovered and explored by Andrew & William Campbell and Benton Stebbins in 1878. (Gurnee 1978) The liner notes, apart from a few words about recording in stereo, are identical to those on the first album. Ref: Gurnee, Russell H. 1978, Discovery of Luray Caverns, Virginia, R.H. Gurnee Inc., Closter, NJ, p. 20-24 Stalacpipe – Unofficial Chronicle of the World’s Largest Musical Instrument, stalacpipe.net

________________________________ RIC-US15 United States 2001

MIDNIGHT IN THE CAVERNS * RIC – Classical – Religious Hymn – Folk – Popular – Speleolithophonic – Instrumental – Cave Pic Cover Selections: 1. Shenandoah – 2:37/ 2. Danny Boy – 3:36/ 3. Amazing Grace – 3:09/ 4. Red River Valley – 3:06/ 5. America the Beautiful – 3:03/ 6. Eternal Father – 2:57/ 7. Prelude in C Minor (Chopin) – 2:00/ 8. Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven) – 6:55/ 9. Träumerei [Reverie] (Schumann) – 3:41/ 10. Greensleeves – 3:06/ 11. Pastoral Symphony (Händel) – 4:27/ 12. Für Elise (Beethoven) – 3:34/ 13. Simple Gifts – 2:41/ 14. Silent Night – 3:27/ 15. Four of the Musical Clocks (Hayden) – 5:38/ 16. Beautiful Dreamer – 2:55/ 17. Prelude in A Major (Chopin) – 3:03 Arr: Monte Maxwell

Perf: Monte MAXWELL (stalacpipe organ) Prod: Christopher Brownfield Prod. Co: Rec. Eng: Christopher Brownfield Liner Notes: Christopher Brownfield Time: (See above) Total: 60:00 CD: MIDNIGHT IN THE CAVERNS WITH MONTE

MAXWELL Monte Maxwell (No Cat. No.) (Tks 1 to 17) Notes: The third recording of music played on the stalacpipe organ in this show cave. However, this album “was produced via sampling; the tracks on this release are the result of using a synthesizer to create each song from the original samples [recorded in the cave]. (Anon. 2012) Throughout the recording the sounds of water drops in the cave are far too prominent in the mix, but, on occasion, the drops will fall at the perfect moment in the music. The slow-paced arrangements on this album for the most part are very suitable to the stalacpipe organ, which does not permit a rapid tempo. When certain lower chords are struck an unpleasant bass humming sound intrudes; this is especially evident in “Red River Valley,” “Eternal Father,” ”Moonlight Sonata,” “Greensleeves,” and “Pastoral Symphony.” Among the more successful pieces for this organ are “Danny Boy,” “Träumerei,” “Für Elise,” “Simple Gifts,” “Silent Night,” “Four of the Musical Clocks,” “Beautiful Dreamer,” and “Prelude in A Major.” At the end there is 58 seconds of cave silence with just the water drops followed by total silence. The liner notes falsely state that it was Leland Sprinkle, the organ’s inventor, who “discovered that striking certain rock formations produced musical tones.” See background information above for the true story. Ref: Anon. 2012, The Great Stalacpipe Organ, Wikipedia Monte Maxwell, Midnight in the Caverns CD, Allmusic Riffmaster 2012, Monte Maxwell, Midnight in the Caverns, blogspot.fr Stalacpipe Organ, Several Different Videos, YouTube (◄COMPLETE AUDIO SAMPLES)

_____________________________________________________ Mammoth Cave Cave City, Kentucky

RIC-US16 Japan 1997

HELL’S KITCHEN –

IMPROVISATION 5 * IMPROVISATION 6 * RIC – Avant Garde – Free Jazz – Speleolithophonic – Instrumental – Cave Pic Cover

Comp: Don CHERRY

Perf: Don CHERRY (stalactite speleolithophone & flute) Prod: Verna Gillis Prod. Co: DIW Records Rec. Eng: Verna Gillis & Brad Graves Rec. Date: October 1978 Liner Notes: (4-page foldout in English & Japanese) John

F. Szwed & Anna Mayo Time: (Tk 5) 8:18 & (Tk 6) 2:59 Compilation CD: HELL’S KITCHEN – LIVE FROM SOUNDSCAPE

DIW-405 (Tks 5 & 6) Notes: Two tracks of free improvisation recorded in Mammoth Cave. On track 5, Don Cherry plays on various stalactites and on track 6 he also plays the flute in the cave. The sound of running water can be heard. The co-producer, Brad Graves “had been spelunking in the cave for many years and gave [Verna] Gillis the idea for this unique expedition and it had taken Gillis two years to wheedle permission for this happening from the National Park Service. Gillis has been interested in silence as the other side of sound since she was 16 years old. ‘Here in the cave, Don is playing a kind of duet between himself and his echo.’ “ (Mayo 1976 – This Anna Mayo article in The Village Voice was dated Nov. 1976, but the recording was in October 1978). Regarding this recording session in the cave, Anna Mayo wrote – “On a morning in early October I watched the great free jazzman Don Cherry as he scaled a ledge high on the sheer wall of the Longest Cave in the World and played the rocks like a xylophone. Far below, our guide had fired up two kerosene lanterns so that we were able to doff our miners’ hats. Cherry, on the ledge, gave off vibes of the leopard-spirit of the Ngbe tribe as he improvised a roller-coaster of sound. Throughout Cherry’s performance, producer Verna Gillis sat on the cave floor, at one with her Stellavox tape recorder, earphones like a ceremonial headdress… Adjusting the AKG microphone… was sculptor Bradford Graves. Cherry darted from one rock to another, striking them with two hickory branches he’d brought along at the guide’s suggestion.” (Mayo 1976) For the second improvisation, Cherry “drew out an ancient Taos Indian block flute that he had borrowed from the Dartmouth College Museum and translated his breath into its sound. The flute/ whistle sound seemed to be imprisoned in the cave, calling to be set free. Ancient music of this continent, it spoke of the upper regions and seemed to carry us up the steps.” (Mayo 1976) It is not known where in the cave these recordings were made, but presumably not on the tourist routes because everyone had hardhats. The cover photo show Don Cherry playing the flute and dressed in caving outfit with hardhat and headlamp. As of 2007 Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave in the world with over 350 miles (563 km) of mapped passage, that is, three times longer than any other known cave. (Anon. 2007) Ref: Anon; 2007, Mammoth Cave National Park, Information Page, national-park Hell’s Kitchen – Live from Soundscape CD, CDUniverse (◄AUDIO SAMPLES) Hell’s Kitchen – Live from Soundscape CD, Discogs Mammoth Cave, National Park Service, Home Site, nps.gov Mammoth Cave National Park, Info, Wikipedia Mayo, Anna 1976, The Original Monster Rock Band, The Village Voice, Nov. 13, 1976, Reprinted in Liner Notes

_____________________________________________________ Moaning Cavern Valecito, California

RIC-US17 United States 1998

THE OFFERING * RIC – World – Ethnic Fusion – Native American – New Age – Instrumental Selections: 1. The Offering – 2:32/ 2. Children’s Dance – 2:42/ 3. Tears for Kientepoos – 2:53/ 4. Silent Wolf – 2:49/ 5. Echoes – 2:52/ 6. Mark’s Song – 3:19/ 7. She Watches Them Play – 0:56/ 8. Eagle Clan – 2:52/ 9. Aleut Wind – 3:58/ 10. First Love – 3:56/ 11. The Gathering – 2:15/ 12. MOANING CAVERN – 2:52/ 13. Winds of Change – 2:52/ 14. Flute Circle – 2:45/ 15. Re-Kindle the Fire – 2:01/ 16. In a Yellow Wood – 3:02/ 17. Grandmother’s Last Sunset – 2:53

Perf: Mary YOUNGBLOOD (Native American flute) Prod: James Marienthal, Tom Wasinger, & Mary Youngblood Prod. Co: Silver Wave Rec. Date: 1997 Time: (See above) A. American CD: THE OFFERING Silver Wave 917 (Tk 12) B. British Reissue on Compilation CD: SPIRIT OF THE PLAINS (1998) Connoisseur Collection SDVSOP CD 254 (Tk 15) Notes: Album recorded live in this northern California show cave in the main chamber reached by a 97-foot (32m) spiral staircase. A large mound occupies the center of this room, 50 feet (17m) high and 70 feet (23m) long. This cone has been flattened to make a platform for tourist observation. (Halliday 1959) It was no doubt here that the flute performances were recorded. Executive Producer, James Marienthal said, "We listen in awe as the music flows forth, resonating throughout the cavern. Besides Mary's flute and breath, the only sound heard on this recording are the natural sounds of the cavern, which add just enough presence to let yourself imagine being there." (Anon. n.d.) See world music section for details on one piece, Moaning Cavern, that was inspired by the cave itself (see

under World Music – United States – Native American – Moaning Cave – WD-US-NAM5). All 17 selections on this album have a decided Native American feeling. “Of Aleut/Chugach and Seminole ancestry, Mary is one of the first Native women to record the sacred Native American flute, as this role has been traditionally been held by men.” (Anon. 2013) So it is altogether appropriate that she should dedicate a flute piece and record an entire album in this cave where the bones of her ancestors were found. Archeological excavations at the base of the great chamber revealed numerous human bones and artifacts including torches, arrow points, shell beads, and abalone pendants. In 1950 the University of California Archaeological Survey excavated another part of the floor and found eleven additional skeletons, which were dated from 1500 BC to 500 AD. Later the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History continued the project and unearthed more human remains making a total of approximately twenty-five skeletons found there. (Halliday 1959 & 1962)

The illustration here is from a poster advertising a concert given by her together with the Northern California Flute Circle in this cave on August 12, 2006. In reference to Youngblood’s flute music in this underground setting the cave Web site once proclaimed that “the natural acoustics lend an amazing echo and organic quality to the distinctly memorable melodies that Youngblood creates with her flutes.” Ref: Anon. n.d., Mary Youngblood, Silver Wave Records, silverwave Anon. 2013, Mary Youngblood, The Offering, ladyslipper Halliday, William 1959, Adventure Is Underground, Harper & Brothers, New York, p. 148-149 Halliday, William 1962, Caves of California, William R. Halliday, Seattle, WA, p. 51 Mary Youngblood, Biography, maryyoungblood and Music – The Offering, maryyoungblood Mary Youngblood, Biography, Wikipedia Mary Youngblood Cave Concert, Moaning Cavern, caverntours & Moaning Cavern Park, caverntours Mary Youngblood, The Offering, Allmusic (◄AUDIO SAMPLES) Mary Youngblood, The Offering, CDUniverse (◄AUDIO SAMPLES) Moaning Cavern, Wikipedia Youngblood, Mary 2003, The Offering Songbook, Oregon Flute Store, 39p

_____________________________________________________ Stinson Beach Sea Cave Stinson Beach, California

RIC-US18 United States 1975

SEA CAVE * RIC – Nature Sounds – Synthesizer Prod: Brad Miller Prod. Co: Mobile Fidelity Productions of Nevada Rec. Eng: Brad Miller Rec. Loc: Stinson Beach, CA Time: 6:20 & (No. 3) 2:51 1. Original LP: NATURE'S MYSTIC MOODS – THE SOUNDS OF

THE STORM & THE SEA Bainbridge (?) 12” 33rpm

2. Reissue on CD: NATURE'S MYSTIC MOODS – THE SOUNDS OF THE STORM & THE SEA (1990)

Bainbridge BCD 6244 (Tk 31) 3. Reissue on CD: NATURE'S MYSTIC MOODS – THE SOUNDS OF THE STORM & THE SEA (1997)

Digital Sound 4411 (Tk 31) Notes: An unbroken recording of ocean waves lapping rocks on shore with the roar of breakers crashing in the distance follows over to the sound of light waves presumably crashing into the entrance of a sea cave with a slight reverberation. Erratically the big wave will crash in. Ref: Nature’s Mystic Moods – The Sounds of the Storm & the Sea LP, Allmusic & 1990 CD Allmusic Nature’s Mystic Moods – The Sounds of the Storm & the Sea, 1997 CD, Allmusic (◄AUDIO SAMPLE) The Sounds of the Storm & the Sea, Vol. 1, Amazon (◄AUDIO SAMPLE)

_____________________________________________________ Unidentified American Cave No. 1 RIC-US19 United States 1993

SEA CAVE * RIC – Nature Sounds Prod. Co: Laserlight Records Rec. Eng: (?) Time: 0:46 Compilation CD: 101 DIGITAL SOUND EFFECTS: SOUNDS OF NATURE Delta/ Laserlight 12 146 (Tk 81) Notes: A wave crashes into a cave. Ref: 101 Digital Sound Effects – Sounds of Nature CD, CDUniverse (◄AUDIO SAMPLE) 101 Digital Sound Effects – Sounds of Nature CD, Discogs

_____________________________________________________ Unidentified American Cave No. 2 RIC-US20 United States 2001

WATER DRIPPING FROM ROOF OF A CAVE * WATER RUNNING THROUGH, AND DRIPPING FROM THE ROOF

OF A CAVE * RIC – Nature Sounds

Prod: Peter Handford Rec. Eng: (?) Prod. Co: ASV / Living Era Records Time: (Tk 32) 0:48 & (Tk 33) 0:57 Compilation CD: A WORLD OF WATER ASV / Living Era 7051 (Tks 32 & 33) Notes: Both of these 30-second audio clips sounded like authentic cave recordings: the first had running gurgling water falling, splashing continuously and running off and the second had water drops near and far at different rhythms with gurgles behind. Ref: A World of Water CD, (Wrong CD Cover shown), Allmusic (◄AUDIO SAMPLES) A World of Water CD, CDUniverse (◄AUDIO SAMPLES)

_____________________________________________________ Unidentified American Cave No. 3 RIC-US21 United States 2002

FIRST PLACES * RIC – World – Traditional – Nature Sounds – Instrumental Selections: 2. CAVE SONG ONE – 5:10/ 4. Koku – 10:34/ 5. CAVE SONG 2 – 4:07/ 6. Kyorei 10:24

Perf: Phil JAMES (shakuhachi flute) Prod: Phil James Prod. Co: Sparkling Beatnik Records Time: (See above) CD: FIRST PLACES – SOLO SHAKUHACHI FLUTE

Sparkling Beatnik SBR 0030 (Tks 2, 4, 5, & 6) Notes: Four out of seven selections on this CD were recorded in an unidentified cave. "‘Kyorei’ (described by James as the oldest known shakuhachi piece) and the two ‘Cave Song- improvisations are inhabited by dripping water and the natural echo of the cave.” (Coulture 2013) We are told that one piece, “Koku,” on this album was recorded in a “wet limestone cave” (Anon n.d.) and that some pieces “honor Missouri’s natural soundscape” (Dempster n.d.) all of which might mean that several selections here were recorded in an unidentified Missouri cave. For a bit more information regarding the two cave-inspired jazz pieces here see under Jazz Music – Free – Cave Song One & Cave Song 2. Two selections, “Koku” and “Kyorei,” are traditional Japanese pieces. Album selections that were not recorded in the cave are – 1. “Father John,” 3. “Journeys with Frogs,” and 7. “Father John Again” (both “Father John” pieces were dedicated to John Coltrane). Ref: Coulture, François 2013, First Places: Solo Shakuhachi Flute CD, Review, Allmusic Dempster, Stuart n.d., Press Comments on My Music, Phil Nyokai James, Nyokai-an Shakuhachi Dojo, nyokai Phil Nyokai James, Bio, Wikipedia

_____________________________________________________ Unidentified American or Canadian Cave

RIC-US22 Canada 1994

CAVE WITH WATER DRIPPING * RIC – Nature Sounds Prod. Co: Madacy Music Group; St. Laurent, Quebec, Canada Rec. Eng: (?) Time: (No. 1; Tk 48 or No. 2; Tk 97) 0:33 1. Compilation Box Set CDs: 300 SPECTACULAR SOUND EFFECTS – VOL. 1 Madacy 2-8710 (3XCDs) (Disc 2 – Tk 48) 2. Reissue on Compilation Box Set CDs: 300 SPECTACULAR SOUND

EFFECTS – VOL. 2 (1996) Madacy 8721 (3XCDs) (Disc 3 – Tk 97) Notes: The 30-second audio clip for this track had splattering water drops with running water in the background, echoes of water drops, and all at a varied natural rhythm. It is not known if these water sounds were recorded in a cave in Canada or the United States. Ref: 300 Spectacular Sound Effects 1996 CD, Disc 3 - Tk 97, Allmusic (◄AUDIO SAMPLE) 300 Spectacular Sound Effects CD, Amazon 300 Spectacular Sound Effects CD, Discogs

_____________________________________________________

NOT RECORDED IN CAVES

Meramec Caverns Stanton, Missouri RIC-US23 United States 1970

MERAMEC CAVERNS PRESENTS NOTRIC – Gospel – Popular – Choral – Cave Pic Cover Selections: Side One – 1. Army of the Lord – 1:55/ 2. The Night Before Easter – 4:00/ 3. I’ve Got Confidence – 2:35/ 4. Oh Happy Day – 2:48/ 5. Closer to Thee – 3:25/ 6. Daddy Sang Bass – 2:40 Side two – 1. Love Thy Neighbor – 1:35/ 2. The Old Rugged Cross Made the Difference – 2:45/ 3. Try a Little Kindness – 1:55/ 4. I’ve Been Born Again – 2:57/ 5. Get Together – 3:17/ 6. Impossible Dream – 3:00

Perf: GATEWAY BOYS & DONNA Donna, Parvin Tramel, Dave, Brian, & Glen Prod: Parvin Tramel Prod. Co: Rec. Co: Lester Master/0 Sonic; St. Louis, MO Time: (See above) LP: MERAMEC CAVERNS PRESENTS THE GATEWAY BOYS & DONNA

Stereo/ Sonic P7-17125 (stereo) 12" 33rpm (Sides 1 & 2)

Notes: This coral group probably gave concerts in the huge Ballroom close to the entrance, but this recording was made in a studio. Many of the songs here are of a religious nature. Ref: American eBay postings Meramec Caverns, History of the Caverns, Home Site, americascave Meramec Caverns, Info, Wikipedia

_____________________________________________________

Sound Effects RIC-US24 United States 1996

FAST DRUM BEAT IN A CAVE SLOW DRUM BEAT IN A CAVE NOTRIC – Natural Rock Sounds

Perf: (?) Prod. Co: Madacy Records Time: (Tk 72) 0:34 & (Tk 73) 0:35 1. Compilation Box Set CDs: 300 SPECTACULAR SOUND

EFFECTS – VOL. 1 Madacy 8720 (3XCDs) (Disc 1 – Tks 72 & 73) 2. Reissue on Compilation Box Set CDs: 300 SPECTACULAR

SOUND EFFECTS – VOL. 2 Madacy 8721 (3XCDs) (Disc 1 – Tk 36) Notes: These two tracks appear on the CD albums mentioned above – see RIC-US18. The 30-second audio clips provided the sounds of rock pounding on rock, which could have been recorded anywhere. The first track (sample no longer available) sounds like a rock pounding on another rock with a varied rapid rhythm, all sounding somewhat like a chugging steam train. The second track is again rock pounding on rock; one, two, and a third hard beat over and over with resonance. The second track only was reissued on Volume 2 and retitled, Drums in a Cave – Slow. Ref: 300 Spectacular Sound Effects – Vol. 2, Drums in a Cave – Slow, Allmusic (◄AUDIO SAMPLE) 300 Spectacular Sound Effects – Vol. 2, Amazon

_____________________________________ RIC-US25 United States 1998

GORY GROTTO FEAST NOTRIC – Natural Sounds Comp: (?)

Perf: (?) Mus. Effects: Sorrel Hays Prod: Marilyn Ries Prod. Co: K-Tel Distribution Time: 0:33 Compilation CD: HORROR AND TERROR: FRIGHTENING

SOUNDS – VOL. 1 K-Tel 4058 (Tks 31) Notes: The 30-second audio clip had hushed shuffling sounds, tock sounds, sloshing water, and water drops. Another selection on this compilation album was entitled, “Beeper Bats,” (see under Recordings of Bats – Counterfeit Bat Sounds). The Allmusic website clearly states that this album was a studio recording. Ref: Horror and Terror – Vol. 1, Allmusic

caveinspiredmusic.com