Chris Conway - Ayurveda (2003) Lossless

Ayurveda is the latest album release in the Mind, Body & Soul series - a series which, incidentally, also includes some videos. Apparently the music on the CD has been written to create balance in the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) - the doshas being related to parts of the body. That said, I'm sceptical [sic] of the power of music to help in physical healing, except perhaps indirectly insofar as it can affect one's emotional wellbeing. I'll leave it to people more interested in the healing side of New Age music to decide whether this album balances their doshas.

The thing that initially struck me about Ayurveda is the gentle sound of running water used throughout, from the first to last track. I don't know whether that's designed to fit in with the doshas, but the sound of water certainly can be soothing. The music that we hear over the water is created from a variety of Western and Asian instruments, some of which, like the swarmandal, I've never heard of before. Chris Conway is a talented musician who has composed music in several genres, and the collection of instruments he's used here speaks to his versatility.

Though there are some keyboards used in the album, it has an acoustic and "earthy" quality overall, and, not surprisingly given the title, the sounds often conjure up images pertaining to certain parts of India and Asia. Indeed, the opening track "Knowledge of Life" reminded me of a track on David Parsons's Himalaya.

When keyboards are used, as on "Kapha," they fit in really well with the style of the album. Because of the water sounds, this is one of those albums which feels like it's taking you on a journey; given the theme of balancing doshas maybe the journey is through different parts of the body.