Salute to the Sun is his first album as a leader since Into Forever (2015) and marks the debut of his new band. A hand-picked ensemble featuring some of Manchester’s finest young musicians: Matt Cliffe flute & saxophone, Maddie Herbert harp, Liviu Gheorghe piano, Alan Taylor drums and Jack McCarthy percussion as well as long-time Halsall collaborator, bassist, Gavin Barras who has been at the heart of Halsall’s bands for over a decade. For Matthew it was important to have a band based locally and able to meet and play each week. The album draws energy from these sessions and inspiration from themes and ideas that have inspired Halsall through the years (on albums such as Oneness, Fletcher Moss Park and When the World Was One) ideas of ecology, the environment and harmony with nature. matthewhalsall.comgondwanarecords.com ***Join the East Forest Council via the new East Forest Council on Patreon.  Monthly Zoom Council, Podcast exclusives, private Patreon live-stream ceremony, and more.  Check it out and a great way to support the podcast and directly support the work of East Forest! - http://patreon.com/eastforest ***Catch East Forest LIVE - Pledge your interest in the upcoming East Forest Ceremony Concert events this Spring/Summer 2021.  More info and join us at eastforest.org/tour Join the newsletter and be part of the East Forest Council Community. Listen to East Forest guided meditations on Spotify & Apple Check out the East Forest x Ram Dass album on (Spotify & Apple) + East Forest's Music For Mushrooms: A Soundtrack For The Psychedelic Practitioner 5hr album (Spotify & Apple). *****Please rate Ten Laws w/East Forest on iTunes.  It helps us get the guests you want to hear.  Stay in the East Forest flow:Mothership:  http://eastforest.org/IG:  https://www.instagram.com/eastforest/FB:  https://www.facebook.com/EastForestMusic/TW:  https://twitter.com/eastforestmusicPATREON: http://patreon.com/eastforest