"Afternoon Rye" is the third single from Shambhu's upcoming guitar album, Acoustic Oasis, due out October 6, 2023. For this piece, Shambhu added some subtle keyboard washes to enhance the atmospheric depth of his beautiful guitar work. All ten tracks from the album were recorded during a spontaneous weekend jam session in early 2023 and offer a respite from the stresses of everyday life. Quoting Shambhu: "These songs embody heart and hope, and I hope that listeners feel a deep calm and inner focus." It certainly works for me!

I asked Shambhu about the title for this piece in a recent interview:

The name "Afternoon Rye" was inspired by “the amber waves of grain” which we sing about in the song, "America, the Beautiful." In my 20s, I had the idea to stage a cross-country bicycle relay to celebrate the life of Sri Chinmoy. A team of cyclists crossed America relay-style and while riding in the midwest, for the first time, on a steamy hot afternoon, I saw the amber waves of grain, and it was a big moment.

"Afternoon Rye" begins with a simple melodic pattern that is woven throughout the piece, both with and without the keyboard washes, creating a soothing tone of peaceful tranquility that allows the listener to breathe in deeply and let go of any tensions that have built up. From what I have heard so far, this could be Shambhu's best album yet!

"Afternoon Rye" is available to stream or download from Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes and from many streaming platforms including Spotify. Both thumbs up!