2007-05-07
Local Joe Reilly, pronounced "Ry-Lee," a Kalamazoo native, now lives and works in Ann Arbor. The musical styles on his CD include folk, blues, hip-hop, gospel, world, and Native American. Many of his songs speak of his home state of Michigan or of Chicago, where he has also lived. His music is also influenced by his spiritual and activist callings. Joe has a degree in Environmental Justice from U of M. He has sung with a Native American drum group in Ann Arbor. He has studied and practiced Buddhism and is a follower of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk, teacher and peace activist, who appears on Joe's CD three times with spoken word segments. Seth Bernard appears on and co-produced this CD. Joe's band on this CD is "The Faith Project." He is also part of a group called the "Long Hairz Collective." Many gems on this CD with a variety of styles to please most everyone. My personnel favorites include: "The River", "State of the Possible" and "Infinite Hearts." Several pieces would be appropriate for "In The Spirit." "Tee" VanHammenThe opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.