Mystical Performances

Mahalia Jackson singing "Sunday Morning" on Ellington's "Black, Brown and Beige".

"Don't Let It Show" from "I Robot" - Alan Parsons Project

"Land Of Make Believe" - Moody Blues from "Seventh Sojourn" and "Never Blame the Rainbows for the Rain" - Moody Blues from "Keys to the Kingdom".

"Suppers Ready" - Genesis

"Mystical" may not be quite the right word but "Man Erg" By Van Der GRaaf Generator from "Pawn Hearts" is quite a powerful piece.

I'd also vote for Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" and Morrison's "Astral Weeks".

When I think of mystical, jazz fusion comes to mind first. Artists like Chick Corea, Flora Purim, Herbie Hancock and Weather Report. Saw many of these bands live back in the day, some of the most mystical musical experiences in my lifetime! Some jazz purists hate the stuff, I love it.

I also think of Frank Zappa and obscure psychedelic music from 60's, stuff from artists like Music Emporium, Sagittarious, Trader Horne, Eclection, Gandalf, Kennelmus, Chrysalis and Silver Apples. These are very experimental bands, some very elementary, yet they all evoke a feeling of reverence. It may also be some won't get this music, perhaps you had to have lived in those times to get the feeling. The initial awakenings of the counterculture and mass drug use were a pretty strange time in human existence.

I think I get where you're coming from and would certainly echo Meeting by the River as a good example. In a similar trance-like way I'd point to some of the collaborations of the oudist, Anouar Brahem. My favorite being, "Le Pas du Chat Noir," but many of his ECM recordings achieve that for me - they come to mind in reflecting on Meeting by the River as a brilliant fusion of talented musicians just finding that groove together that sucks you into their magic. These are the kind of recordings one can never tire of. Good thread subject!

VHS Tape: Mark Knopfler's Night In London concert
Cut: Sultans of Swing - Mark's guitar riff toward the end of the piece - I'm mesmerized every time I view it and, unfortunately, it was left off of the DVD version.

Beatles-White Album
Stones-Exile
Zep-III