In the early 1960s, I was an undergraduate at Stanford. The Beat influence still existed in northern California and St Michael's Alley was Palo Alto's coffee house. I used to sit there with my friends, drink one dollar cups of coffee (when gasoline was twenty-five cents a gallon) and listen to the exotic music played over the sound system. That was where I first heard Missa Luba and I was stunned. What was this amazing music? Enough small talk. Find the manager. "What is this music? I have to have it." I bought the album as soon as I could find it and I have it still. For many years I have been looking for a reissue on CD. Two days ago I learned it had been reissued and today, thanks to Amazon's two-day shipping, I am listening to the CD. As another reviewer wrote, this is like nothing else you've ever heard: pure, clean, uplifting, ethereal - spiritual and rhythmic - hypnotizing. If heavy metal is your favorite music, stay away from this CD. But if your tastes are more subtle, give it a try.
