Incantation
Wheater's gentle music has long been a favorite of massage therapists, by whom he is appreciated as a sound healer and facilitator of sound workshops at New York's Omega and California's Esalen. A renowned flautist of considerable articulation, Tim Wheater studied flute with the magnificent masterJames Galway, who made the flute hip even for scrappy street kids. Wheater has also collaborated with noted spiritual creativity writer Julia Cameron (The Artist's Way,Vein of Gold) on a number of audio projects, includingThis Earthand the 1999 coauthoredSoundtracks. Here onIncantationWheater's considerable talents are evident, yet muddied by the attempt to do too much--Celtic, native, Tibetan, aboriginal and pagan New Age--all at once. A fine exception to such distraction is the "Circle's Edge," on which the keyboards pull back from the monastic choir-like vocals, blending beautifully with Wheaton's flute and the "Om mani Padme hum" chant.--Paige La Grone