SOLO JOURNEY BETWEEN DIMENSIONS Saxophone Music for Massage, Meditation & Mellowness One day my next-door neighbor, a massage therapist, approached me saying "Plunky have you ever recorded the type of solo music you play when you practice in the mornings? It is so peaceful and introspective, that solo saxophone. I think it is just the type of music that I could use in my work with my patients." Over the years other listeners have also suggested or requested this type of music project and several times I have obliged by composing or improvising or compiling informal collections of mellow music for meditation or music therapy. When I gave her early sketches of this album, my Neighbor used the music during massage sessions and she reported, "It worked beautifully!" This recording is a more refined journey into the realm of music as a vehicle for meditation and exploration. The songs are all the result of my own meditations with the intention of exploring the dimensions of visualization, time and relativity as they relate to the listeners. It is a solo journey into sounds made to be heard and used for openness and inspiration. Beauty is in the ear of the behearer. One can find wisdom through Music. Music is a healing force in the Universe. And the saxophone can be a voice that sings of love and a drum that beats the rhythm of life. It is the instrument that I use for communicating between the dimensions of the subconscious mind and the spirit. This music is intended to be a part of the sound track of your solo journey along the path of personal transformation. A journey whose destination is the stillness between the dimensions of substance and light. It is a serious journey but one that is airy and joyful. Like the music ... Thank you for listening. Wisdom, Peace and Love Through Music, Plunky ++++++++++++ was a studio musician for television's top-rated "The Cosby Show." He has toured in Europe, where he performed with his own group in London and also with the Soulciety all-star revue which played Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Plunky has twice toured Ghana, West Africa, once for the Ghana National Commission on Children, and again as a cultural specialist for the U.S. Information Agency. With his group, Plunky & Oneness, he has opened shows for numerous stars, including Patti Labelle, Ray Charles, Najee, Yellow Jackets, and Frankie Beverly & Maze. Plunky's group performed at the New Orleans World's Fair, at the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta and at the Hampton Jazz Festival in his native Virginia. For more than 10 years Plunky has toured continuously with support from the Virginia Commission for the Arts (VCA). Plunky's career accomplishments are as varied as his music and his diverse interests, which include: African art and culture, history, digital technology, politics and the media. In addition to being a veteran saxophonist and a composer, J. Plunky Branch is also an administrator, lecturer and teacher. He has been a frequent arts panelist for the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Plunky is a two time recipient of the NEA Jazz fellowships and he served on the Governor's Task Force for the Promotion of the Arts in Virginia. He has been Director of the Jazz Ensemble at Virginia Union University as well as instructor of Afro-American Music History at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. For the past four years Plunky has been named a Virginia Hero by Virginia Heroes, Inc. for his outstanding work with children. He was Richmond Magazine's Musician of the Year for 1999. He is a sought after artist-in-residence and performer for public schools systems and this past February he once again performed and lectured at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Over his career Plunky has entertained and taught thousands, and in the process, he has developed a broad-based following. During his 1987 West African tour, critics proclaimed Plunky "one of the greatest living saxophonist!" And in a context where rhythm, ritual, power and emotion reign supreme, he might be! To kick off the new millennium, internationally acclaimed jazz and funk musician, J. Plunky Branch expands his musical horizons with the release of three new CD albums: the smooth jazz "Saxy Mellow Moments," the soulful "Got to Be Phunky" and a new age music album entitled "Solo Journey Between Dimensions." The trilogy of albums contains of more than 35 new songs, all recorded and produced by Plunky. This prolific output is the result of Plunky's talent, versatility, focus and dedication to his art. For further information contact: J. Plunky Branch, 2218 Rosewood Avenue, Richmond, VA 23220, 804-355-3586, Fax 804-355-7240, Email: plunkyb@aol.com