Collie Ryan - The Giving Tree (1973)

Collie Ryan is a student of Theosophy who privately pressed three records in 1973. This project was funded by her friends at New Age Farms carrot and fresh juice company in Lompoc, California, and the records were distributed at shows at the Sun and Earth Health Food Store and Restaurant in Santa Barbara. The songs are primarily about the theosophist concepts of karma and reincarnation; they are lovely and subtle enough that most listeners rarely detect any sort of underlying meaning without having it pointed out first.

Colllie Ryan's music is deceptively simple – using nothing more than her high, birdlike voice and excellent acoustic guitar and occasional reverb & natural sound effects, she creates a tremendous, mystical atmosphere evoking the gypsy lifestyle.

One of her songs from Indian Harvest, 'Cricket,' was featured on the excellent Wayfaring Strangers: Ladies From The Canyon female folk compilation from the Numero Group.