Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice (Windham Hill Series), Various Artists - New Age | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 20, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Windham Hill Records
• ASIN: B000000NN6
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #168,613 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Summer (or anytime) listening, September 14, 2001

By 

Neal C. Reynolds (Indianapolis, Indiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Summer Solstice (Audio CD)

This is the first in the Summer Solstice series from Windham Hill, and very good indeed. This set seems more diversified than the latest one, and has a number of highlights.

3. Michael Hedges--Dream Beach--strong acoustic guitar with flute and percussion.

4. Michael Manring & Paul McCandless--In Our Jasmine Days--Manring's zen bass guitars and percussion provide a good positive beat underlying McCandless' pjlaintive edxotic sounding oboe on a surprisingly powerful cut.

7. David Arkenstone on Guitar and Don Markelson on soprano sax provide a lazy, dreamy "Midsummer's Moon."

8. Liz Story's loving yet strong touch on the piano makes good on "The Promise".

9. Tracy Silverman--"Summer" from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons--violin & flute, very beautiful.

10. Lisa Lynne--"Summer Star--Lisa Lynne on the celtic harp, backed by David Arkenstone's percussion and also flutes.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where sharp technique and beauty meet..., October 26, 2001

By 

Raf (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Summer Solstice (Audio CD)

Although I've owned this CD for quite a few years now, only now did I start to listen to it at a compulsive rate. I bought this album because I'm a big fan of Michael Manring, but ended up finding that every single song in this album is a mini-masterpiece: contributions from some of the best musicians were put together here and the result is an album which transmits lots of good energy, and the music touches your soul through its beauty.

A few performances alone would be worth the price of the album, such as Tracy Silverman's flawless version of Vivaldi's "Summer" on the electric violin. Or Lisa Lynne's highly touching song. On a lighter side, there are also wonderfull songs, such as the opening title, or Michael Manring and Paul McCandless' joint contribution.

Windham Hill has sadly gone out of business a couple of years ago, so I recommend you get this (and other remaining worthwhile albums) quick before they become impossible to find.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Filled with warmth and Optimism, January 19, 2004

By 

Omkar "I emote, therefore I am" (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Summer Solstice (Audio CD)

This Windham Hill gem is so cherubial that even in the gloomiest of winter mornings, I could find something to cheer for just by turning on my CD player. Instantaenously transports you to some magical warm tropical isle. Strongly advice new age music lovers to have this CD.

The mood presented by the artists is that of unbounded optimism and warmth. Who could ever not be moved by the compassionate harp play of the extremely gifted lisa lynne ? Instead of "summer star", the tune could as well be renamed as "infinite kindness". Another tune that strongly appealed to my aesthetics was Liz Story's "promise". The tune ends on an intensely subtle and sensitive note that promises to stop your breath for a while. Its sombrely sensitive mood is very hard to replicate, a bit cruspier than chopin. On this otherwise wonderful CD, I did find one song out of place. George Winston's M.M. Dunk. It seemed a bit more funkier than the rest and though the latter part seemed to be a bit more like party music. It might've added an ecclectic aspect to the CD though, but certainly not to my taste.

My favorite tunes are:

Summer Solstice - Sean Harkness
In Our Jasmine Days - Michael Manring
Reunion - John Boswell
Promise - Liz Story
Summer Star - Lisa Lynne