Madurai

      MADURAI was named after the venerated California artist Ynez Johnson's 1960s painting of the same title and used courtesy of the Louis Stern Fine Arts Gallery of Los Angeles. This collection of new MVH songs was recorded in Los Angeles in 2010 and released on Jailbird Records in 2011. Conceived as a retro 1970s classic rock album, thanks to LA-based saxophone wizard John Whoolalurie, although lyrically loaded with New Age and ancient Old World sentiment, much Madurai sounds like what you would get if Santana were to team up with Springsteen's long-time sidekick Clarence Clemens. 

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The liner notes:

Greetings fellow Earth people. Thank you for taking the time to tune into the Mark Van Holmes Band experience. We come to you in Words & Music with vibrations of love and beauty. Our message is global but we were thinking with the Universal Mind. This record is about balance - a marriage of Heaven and Earth,  yesterday and today, sky and sea. Be aware as you absorb the music that it was inspired by those who came before us, and please remember that planet Earth is a paradise. Any contrary visions are only illusions.

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Go out and make your life shine. Make it a thing of beauty for yourself and those you touch.

MVH