the project

In 1968, Paul Horn slipped into the Taj Mahal with a flute and a tape recorder. As he improvised to the sound of his own echo, each tone hung suspended in space for twenty-eight seconds. The acoustics were so perfect that you could not tell when his instrument stopped and the reverberations started. No one had ever heard anything like it before, and Horn's impromptu session went on to become one of the most influential albums in establishing the contemplative field of new age music.

Time has not diminished the sheer beauty and expressiveness of Inside the Taj Mahal, still considered one of the cornerstones of the genre. Recently re-released on the Kuckuck label, this new presentation of an old favorite includes the original music and liner notes, as well as the addition of Horn's score to the 1972 album, Inside II. Originally released as a sequel to Inside the Taj Mahal, this critically acclaimed recording includes Horn's masterful multi-flute performances of four Bach chorales, Mass: Kyrie by fifteenth century composer Palestrina, and his historical collaboration with the songs of killer whales. Horn's musical depiction of The Mahabhutas (Earth, Water, Air, Space, Fire), a twelve-track overdubbed symphony for flutes, is also included.

the artist

In the mid-sixties, dissatisfied with his Hollywood lifestyle, Horn flew to India where he studied meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The experience had a profound effect on his life as well as his music. Putting Western notion of music on the back burner, Horn began to explore other ways of playing his instrument. Intellectualism and virtuosity gave way to intuition and contemplation, and the success of Inside the Taj Mahal proved that audiences were ready, even hungry, for his new approach. He went on to roam the world, recording in such architectural wonders as Egypt's Great Pyramid and the majestic cathedrals of Russia. He also worked with Chinese musicians and wrote highly refined ensemble works for a variety of innovative albums.

A classically trained flutist, Horn played jazz with Chico Hamilton, performed as a member of the NBC Hollywood Staff Orchestra, and recorded with his own quintet in the early 1960s. During that time, he won two Grammy Awards for his Jazz Suite On The Mass Texts. Horn continues to record and tour the world.