Ellinwood Ranch  Blues was released April 1st, 2008 and is now available!      Here is the story about how  this album came about.

In November Jetsunma embarked on a retreat after having completed two albums earlier in the year. She arrived in Dakini Valley, her place of retreat in the Tonto National Forest of Arizona, with the intention to rest and focus on spiritual matters. The Valley was once an old homestead farm known as “Ellinwood Ranch.” The property is beautiful and secluded, with a perennial creek running through it and numerous historic buildings, including a rustic, old barn. It is an idyllic place for simple living and restful insight.

     Click here to buy Ellinwood Ranch Blues.

While at Dakini Valley, she composed a poem she felt could be worked into a blues song. She invited BBV to join her in Arizona to create music to go along with her lyrics. As it was unknown how long it would take to compose this song, BBV opened their schedules for an indefinite time. It was their decision to work in the old, historic barn because of its unique acoustic characteristics as well as its warm and inviting ambience.

After a week at Dakini Valley it was apparent to everyone involved that BBV was on a roll, continuing to compose many songs in that short span of time. Talk of another album soon arose and much energy was put into accomplishing that goal. After only 15 days of musical isolation, Jetsunma and BBV composed 12 songs. Each contains lyrics written and sung by Jetsunma. On most of the tracks Jetsunma is accompanied by Tara’s vocals. With Jetsunma’s guidance, BBV set these lyrics to music, drawing from the talents of the production team. Each song is a variation on the blues touching on Jetsunma’s life experiences and featuring Jetsunma’s gift for crafting meaningful lyrics.

Owing largely to the pristine environment from which it was born, “Ellinwood Ranch Blues” was seen as the most natural title for this body of work. It’s a tribute to the rare beauty of Dakini Valley, its special healing capacity and the inspiration one can draw from it.