December 30th, 2014 - Gandharva's Redemption

"And now for something completely different!"  Good afternoon!  The Meista here with something a bit off track from my usual pairings... today I'm pairing Beaver & Krause's pioneering and experimental electronic masterpiece "Gandharva" and a Redemption Pale Ale from Russian River Brewing Company!  This pairing goes out to Uncle Bernie and Thea Kat with much love and respect!!  Cheers!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Beaver & Krause
• Title: "Gandharva"
• Release date: 1971
• Record company: Warner Bros.
• Album cover art: Wilfred Sätty
• Personnel: Paul Beaver (composer, keyboards, Moog synthesizer, pipe organ, and Hammond organ) and Bernie Krause (composer,  keyboards, Moog synthesizer, background vocals, and production)
• Guest musicians: Mike Bloomfield (guitar), Ray Brown (bass), Eddie Lee Charlton (drums), Rod Ellicot (bass), Rik Elswit (guitar), LaMont Johnson (keyboards and piano), Gail Laughton (harp), George March (drums), Ronnie Montrose (guitar), Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone), Howard Roberts (guitar), and Bud Shank (flute and alto saxophone)
• Guest vocalists: Evangeline Carmichael, Venetta Fields, Ron Hicklin, Patrice Holloway, Bill King, and Edna Wright 
• Major themes: Spirituality, Eastern philosophy, introspection, and contemplation.
• Musical style: Electronic, experimental, art, blues, and psychedelic rock, jazz, and a touch of soul/gospel.
• Sound: Krause (or Uncle Bernie as I literally call him... he's my wife's uncle!) once described the album as "an attempt to express our collective spirituality musically [and] bring music from a point of noise to a place very much quieter and more contemplative."
• Notes: The second half of the album was recorded in San Francisco's famed Grace Cathedral.
• Tracks:

1. "Soft/White"
2. "Saga Of The Blue Beaver"
3. "Nine Moons In Alaska"
4. "Walkin'"
5. "Walkin' By The River"
6. "Gandharva"
7. "By Your Grace"
8. "Good Places"
9. "Short Film For David"
10. "Bright Shadows"

  Brew Info:

• Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
• Website: http://russianriverbrewing.com/
• Brew: Redemption Pale Ale
• Style: Belgian-style Pale
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 5.15%
• Pour: Very cloudy and milky pale straw-lemon yellow with a thin, white head that dissipates quickly.
• Nose: The nose is very clean, mellow, and bready with fruit ester notes as well.  There are very soft and mellow pear aromas along with Pilsner malt, freshly baked bread, vanilla, and subtle spices.
• Taste: Like the nose, the flavor of Redemption is rather mellow.  There are notes of sour apple, soft lemon, some sour dough bread, herbal black tea, and spicy, peppery flavors like white pepper and a hint of nutmeg.
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, the mouthfeel is very crisp and biting due to the high carbonation.
• Finish: Redemption finishes clean and dry with a nice refreshing lemon twist... very much like iced tea

 Overall pairing: The softness of the Redemption Pale Ale work well with the more ethereal and ambient sounds of "Gandharva" while the more bold and complex flavors lend themselves well to the more rockin' and jazzier tracks like "Saga Of The Blue Beaver", "Walkin' By The River", and "Short Film For David".

Cheers!!