Rego Irish Records - Celtic Solstice

Personnel: Paul Winter (soprano saxophone); Karan Casey (vocals); Zan McLeod (guitar); Eileen Evers (fiddle); Carol Thompson (Celtic harp, Welsh triple harp); Joanie Madden (flute, whistle); Davey Spillane (Uilleann pipes, low whistle); Jerry O'Sullivan (Uilleann pipes); Paul Hailey (piano, pipe organ); Bakithi Kumalo (bass); Austin McGrath (bodhran); Jamey Haddad (percussion). Recorded at The Cathedral Of St. John The Divine, New York, New York; The Church Of Christ Congregational, Norfolk, Connecticut; Sorcerer Sound, New York, New York. Includes liner notes by Paul Winter. CELTIC SOLSTICE won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. With help from some of the finest Irish musicians extant, Paul Winter presents CELTIC SOLSTICE, his sonic love letter to the Celtic musical tradition. Between Winters' new age-tinged soprano sax and the feathery vocals of Karan Casey and the crystal-clear quality of the production, there's a strong hint of the Clannad brand of wispy, ethereal Irish music. Fiddler Eileen Ivers and piper Davy Spillane sound more atmospheric than usual, less trenchant. Touches of world music and jazz enter the fray as well, to further eliminate the border between what is and what is not "Celtic." If your taste runs toward the traditional in Irish music, you may be distracted by the preponderance of outside influences, but if you're a fan of Winter's conglomeration of styles, CELTIC SOLSTICE will likely win you over.