Album Notes

ABOUT THE ALBUM
Peaceful relaxation music performed on the Celtic harp by master harpist Paul Baker. Following in the tradition of "The Tranquil Harp", "The Ladder of the Soul" presents eight improvisations in keys corresponding to the energy centers of the body. The improvisations are designed to ground your body, open and tune your mind, balance your emotions and soothe your spirit. The pure and ancient sound of the harp, sometimes called "the ladder between earth and heaven", is ideal for relaxation, meditation and integration. Each track is provided with suggested meditations. These improvisations were created on a Dusty Strings FH36-B Celtic harp made in Seattle, Washington. This CD includes over an hour of music for you to relax and re-tune your body, mind and spirit.

"The Ladder of the Soul" was recorded at the Mary Chapel, Mt. Saint Mary's in Los Angeles. This chapel has spectaular reverberant acoustics. The sound of the harp has not been enhanced with added reverb or effects so you hear the wonderful true harp sound interacting with the building's acoustics. Grammy nominated recording engineer Fred Vogler engineered the recording and mastering sessions.

The graphic design of the packaging was created by the award winning design group Bloch+Coulter.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
PAUL BAKER'S music on Celtic harp, concert harp, piano, organ and harpsichord can be heard in concert and on recordings and movie soundtracks. Twice a prizewinner in the International Pop and Jazz Harp Competition, he has published 20 arrangements of American standard songs arranged for solo harp. The group Pastiche premiered his arrangements for flute, harp and voice, "A Gershwin Sampler" and "Seven Popular Spanish Songs" at Carnegie Hall. Voted "Best Musical Director of the Year" for his work with Stephen Sondheim's musical "Assasins", Mr. Baker performs, teaches and presents workshops throughout the United States. His two Celtic harp albums have been widely acclaimed for their innovation, beauty and craftsmanship.