Following the Call

Album Review

What the listener gets out of this stark, soul-stirring, 16-track collection by life-long silver flute player Ann Licater — who runs a series of "Flute for the Soul" workshops and holds a Master's in Creation Spirituality — is partially dependent on the open-minded heart and spirit he or she brings into the experience. Though it's geared towards the new age market, listeners who simply expect relaxing melodies and the kind of gentle rhythmic accompaniment that contemporary commercial new age offers may be a little surprised — this one is pure flute, sacred instruments gathered from different exotic locales, registering different tones which are each geared towards connecting with our own frequencies. The casual flute fan — or lover of jazz flute music — may not be able to immediately tell the difference; it might seem just like brief improvisational pieces. But Licater's intentions run deeper, and aspires to offering a truly healing spirit from track to track. An understanding of each flute she uses helps in picking up these subtle differences, and her liner notes provide the names of the flute makers and their contact information. Her collection is impressing, from the nose flute from Maui that she uses on "Ancient Echoes" (which hypnotizes in its approximation of conversing whales) to the Mayan ceremonial flute she ensembles with a 400-year-old Tibetan metal bowl on "Sacred Moon." Intended for pure relaxation, deep meditation, and powerful inspiration, Licater also offers ways for those she touches to more deeply understand the subtle ways our souls connect with the instruments that drive her passion.