Everything About My Flute Compilation Album

"When I first played "Cave Spirits" I was expecting no more than a relaxing hour with music that would help me separate from the world for a bit. I found myself instead more deeply connected to the world in a way I had not expected. It was not the helter skelter distracting world that takes up so much of my day, but something more timeless that existed before I was here and will afford us comfort long after our individual time here is done. It was more than I expected and not something I experienced often enough to hope for. My first thought was Denise through her music connected me to her heart, but then I realized she had done something more significant and unusual. She connected me to my own."

Denise's music takes the listener to a time long gone.

A time when humanity was one with nature; when a gust of wind, a passing cloud, or the call of a bird were messages and lessons.

"Cave Spirits" allows the listener to tap into the Native American spiritual music traditions. The warmth and resonance of Denise's wooden flute bring to life the spirits that inspired this album.

I appreciated the content, as a musician and the quality, as a producer.

Her breath vibrates;

Flowing through nature’s gifts…

Whirling back to primordial times: when all were once one.

Comfort in knowing, pregnant with bliss.

Tears release… and flow freely for the of beauty of what was once now.

Now is forever gone.

Her breath soothes…

Evaporating the tears that once filled the oceans of life.

A phrase often used in music reviews usually tells the story of an artist bringing an instrument “to life.” With the release of Cave Spirits, it is the Native American flute bringing an artist to life. One gets the sense that the music has been trapped in this ancient wooden vessel, waiting for a magical moment of release – that moment comes when Denise Johanson begins to play. For too long the Native American flute has been relegated to the fringe of serious music, so perhaps it is Ms. Johanson’s classical training that adds depth to her offerings or maybe it is indeed the “soul” of the forest from which the flute was born and is finely set free – either way, the listener will not be disappointed with the music of Cave Spirits.

Richness and purity are words that barely begin to describe the empowered music that emerges from Denise’s wood flute in Cave Spirits. That Denise is grateful for and draws upon the sacredness of each moment is evident through the peace and joy that one receives from her original melodies. I play the CD while giving massages, and it promotes a deeper relaxed state for my clients. I personally listen to it several times a week during my meditation and journaling, and I so resonate with the full clear tones that my body pulses in rhythmic harmony. I find myself completely entranced by each track, and I let the sounds draw me away from the happenings of everyday life into the sanctuary of my own Beingness. (Could this be similar to the children of Hamelin, Germany, who followed similar sounds into a cave in the legend of the Pied Piper?!?) I highly recommend the experience of Cave Spirits to anyone as an enriching part his own journey. Enjoy.

From the first intake of breath that can be heard at the opening of CAVE SPIRITS to the final resonant note, Denise Johanson delivers a sublime performance of original music on the Native American flute.

On my first listening, I was impressed by the pure artistry of the recording --- the soothing and elevating melodies, the virtuosity of the performance, and the immediacy of the listening experience. Only the sound of the flute is heard, and yet Denise succeeds in giving the instrument its own unique voice, ethereal and articulate, as if the flute itself is whispering to us.

CAVE SPIRITS is clearly the work of a gifted composer and musician. Much effort and intention must have gone into the composition of the songs, the selection of the instruments, the recording of the performances and even the sequencing of the tracks. What makes Denise so impressive, however, is the simple fact that all of her careful work is invisible when the music begins ---CAVE SPIRITS is seamless and flawless, a pure experience of musical pleasure.

I have a collection of world music, some of it instrumental and some in foreign languages that I don’t understand, precisely because the music itself is so mind-filling. One of the reasons we listen to music in the first place is to drive the noise of the world out of our heads for a few moments. Nothing in my collection is more accomplished or more satisfying than CAVE SPIRITS.

CAVE SPIRITS is on my iPod now, and I find that it is the ideal soundtrack for driving, working, reading, and relaxation. But, now and again, I prefer to simply shut my eyes and enter the acoustic paradise that Denise Johanson has created. Each time I do, I am reminded of the gift that Denise possesses, and the gift she has given to her listeners.