Album Notes

CHAR-EL is Charles Thaxton, Ohio-based synthesist and keyboardist/composer. Charles has performed in bands and solo concerts for over 30 years. In the 70\'s, he played with bands doing progressive rock originals and covers, among them were STARGATE and MAGIK DAYZE. He relocated to Southern California for several years in 1979 then moved to Phoenix Arizona and worked with more prog-rock musicians. He was a member of the group GALILEO. In 1986, Charles joined a project called VOYAGER which was a Tangerine Dream-influenced trio doing original music in planetariums and at outdoor events.

Eventually moving back to his native Ohio, Charles produced his first cd under the name CHAR-EL called WORLDS WITHOUT END in 1996. The CD received repeated exposure on the NPR show MUSIC FROM THE HEARTS OF SPACE and good reviews worldwide. His second CD HEAVEN AND EARTH, a 2-CD set, was released in March 2000 to critical acclaim. While the first cd was a blend of classic cosmic music atmospheres, the second disc divided the music into two worlds... HEAVEN being purely space music and meditative soundscapes, while EARTH moved into progressive rock/symphonic new age territory. For the EARTH CD, Charles enlisted some old bandmates from previous bands like Larry Clark from GALILEO on guitars, and Doug Bonnell from MAGIK on drums.

Charles\' early influences include the MOODY BLUES\' Mike Pinder, ISAO TOMITA, SYNERGY (Larry Fast), YES, GENESIS, and most other progressive pioneers. The influence of new-age artists like David Arkenstone and Kitaro are incorporated as well. Some of the music from WORLDS WITHOUT END was selected by a doctor in Los Angeles to be used as part of a women\'s healing retreat program. The last few years, Charles has been doing some selected live performances in churches and at outdoor events around Ohio and Michigan and at bookstores like Borders, as well as The UFO Festival in Roswell New Mexico.

Recently Charles has appeared on several CDs by Native American flute artist DOUGLAS BLUE FEATHER, available at CDBaby, including the latest release SACRED SPACE.