Jamie Newell

A favorite in the Baba-community, Jamie first heard of Baba at the tender age of 18. Originally a drummer, he plunged into the music business and was soon backing famous blues men such as John Lee Hooker! After a few years, higher education beckoned and eventually culminated with degrees in counseling and religion. His sweetest memories may be of singing on the porch at Meherazad where Mehera enjoyed his songs, particularly his classics,”Sing A Song of Meher Baba”, and”Merhera, In What Manner Do You Love Him”. Look for Jamie’s three CDs in the Toddy Shop.

Videos:

Many wonderful songs in a concert at the Meher Center:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5mILN9tt8w 

Jim Meyer

Jim discovered the God-Man in the late 1960’s in New York City, then moved to Myrtle Beach and worked at Meher Center for years. A favorite of Kitty and Elizabeth, he was a fabulous singer right from the start and has been featured on Baba albums, CDs and video soundtracks for more than half a century! He has been a prolific songwriter and has penned many timeless, classic Baba songs. He is also a luthier and artist, building dulcimers and painting portraits of his Beloved Baba.

Videos:

You Alone Exist (video of Meher Baba with soundtrack by Jim Meyer):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGHg8sH9ahw&t=395s
I Will Never Leave You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zw9EY0glvY

Pam Rubenstein

Pam comes from a musical family. Her grandpa played fiddle, harmonica and accordion and told her,”Girls don’t play harmonica.” So of course, she learned harmonica! She and her parents sang in the choir, but in the 70’s she learned guitar and started playing professionally around Florida. In 1993, she was singing with her husband, Danny, as”The Rubensteins” when they met Bhau Kalchuri and were drawn to Baba through him. From then on, Pam and Danny wrote Baba-themed songs and recorded 4 CDs together. Danny went to Baba in 2022, but after this profound loss, Pam found a new well-spring of Baba-songs that are infused with the sweetness of the Beloved. In 2023, she recorded an excellent 18-song solo CD,”Original Sound.” We are fortunate to have her at the Sahavas!

Videos:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu80xQSjCtk
•“Days At Meherazad” video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvjqJ3BTdfI
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwcOpMspFxc

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Beverly Smith and Jason Homan

Beverly Smith, a professional guitarist and fiddler specializing in folk and old-time music, called the New Year’s Eve square dance at the Meher Center for years. She began singing her lovely Baba songs for the mandali and Baba lovers in the 1970s, toured with old-time music groups for decades and is currently working on a new CD of songs for the Beloved. Jason Homan graduated from the Fame High School for the Performing Arts in New York City before moving to the steamy environs of New Orleans. To our delight, he and his family eventually resettled in Asheville. Over the years he has played professionally and is an extraordinary jazz and rock guitarist and singer. He brings a good dose of spice to this musical duo.

Videos:

   • Beverly and Jason: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0Mfdd5Mimg&t=1651s

   • Beverly at Meherabad, India (also has Debbie Nordeen singing”Sweetie Pie”):
       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivOeHp9JJMY&t=37s

   • A Beverly Baba Zoom concert:     
         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A7MoS3lZiA

Mark Trichka and Lisa Brande 

This husband and wife duo split the year between Vermont and Florida. Professional musicians for over 40 years and Baba-lovers even longer, on Mark’s first trip to India in 1982 he often played for the mandali. His instrumental prowess inspired Mani to dub him ‘Mandolin Walla’. That moniker became the title of one of their many CDs, most of which have heartfelt and catchy songs to Beloved Baba—alternating with rocking instrumentals. Hardcore fans also savor their tasty bayou-favored CDs. After they married in 1989, Lisa made her first trip to India and has played violin and guitar by Mark’s side ever since. They have performed all over the States and the world, at both Baba-events and multiple venues, and have appeared on many CDs by other Baba-singers. Search for them on Apple Music and various streaming services.

Videos:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7lUMu1H9NI&t=9s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpoSaxS1bfM
•“Anything is Possible” audio track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBq3YTTKCBg

Cathy Riley 

Cathy has been performing and teaching music most of her life. Her lovely voice can be heard on many albums and CDs going back to 1973’s In His Love. She recently published an acclaimed autobiography, Much Light, of her late husband and Baba treasure, Tom Riley. A few years earlier, she wrote the delightful book, Dilruba Days, about her job taking care of Baba’s Kitty and Elizabeth. Cathy has a string of delightful CDs available at Sheriar Bookstore. She will be joined at the Sahavas by a group of talented singers and musicians. 

Videos:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iimoE42p4c (scroll to 4:30)
• Cathy singing (a lovely song begins at 19:45 minutes):                   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PgLbyfzqec

Rainey Eastman-Gannett

Beginning in 1967, Baba’s red-headed, Aussie songbird was a mainstay of the early Australian group. She and other singers performed exquisite musical renditions of Francis Brabazon’s poems and Raine became a favorite of dear Mehera. A move to the U.S. led to years as a voice teacher in the East Bay/Berkeley area. At the Sahavas, her multi-octave range and rhythmic guitar will regale us on jewel-like Baba-songs. Raine has a host of CDs available at Sheriar Bookstore and in the Toddy Shop.

Videos:

AMBCSC 2005 concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XRJmcDbKT8

    Avatar’s Abode 2018 concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RHoGtODpII

Ward Parks and Friends

Ward is undoubtedly the most prolific composer in our galaxy of Baba-singers. From his first trip to India in 1972, to the present, he has written hundreds of Baba-songs, many of them timeless classics such as”Like a Silent Sea is Meher”,”Who Wears the Dawn Form”,”I Sing of Meher”,”The Blue Horizon”,”I Am All For Meher” and”Precious Beloved”. Those are just a tiny sample from his vast repertoire which continues to grow as Ward works almost daily on new and ambitious songs for the Beloved. Over his years in India, he also edited a monumental series of books based on Baba’s early messages including: In God’s Hand, Meher Baba’s Tiffin Lectures, Infinite Intelligence and Creation And Its Causes. Ward also edited one of the versions of The Discourses. Ward’s Asheville band consists of Susan Taylor, Greg and Gay Dunn, Michael Ivey and Chris Barker.

Videos:

   • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivOeHp9JJMY 
     (From 45:31, all the songs are by Ward;
      Scroll to 1:04:53 for Ward’s masterpiece,”I Am All For Meher”)
 • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0O8C6H9Ixo
    (Susan Taylor sings Ward’s”Precious Beloved”, with Ward on piano)