Hoff Ensemble, Winter Quiets Nigts

The songs of Korean composer Young Jo Lee, chosen by singer Yoora Lee-Hoff for her GENUIN debut, seem like enchanting ink drawings from the Far East. The fabulous coloratura soprano, accompanied by Michael Schütze on the piano, performs the little treasures with great naturalness, a beautiful sound and as clear as a bell. The spectrum of songs from all creative periods of the contemporary composer ranges from the simple, folk-like strophic song to a touch of magical post-impressionist color. Yoora Lee-Hoff sings us about silky haze and scarecrows, moonlit nights and starlight - from another world!

The addition of a brass ensemble to Christmas concerts and carol services, combining with the more traditional sounds of choir and organ, has become increasingly popular in recent years.

Organic Pulse Ensemble our Swedish "One Man Ensemble" is back with a beautiful album. "The Light Comes Black" is an ode to the ominous season of Winter in the northern parts of the globe specially around January in this time of year when days and nights blend together in a long period of darkness. It's also about the time when the light comes back along with life and nature reviving in Spring.

Book of Flames and Shadows is a continuous sequence of music lasting about an hour, incorporating two pieces by James Weeks (b. 1978) and madrigals by Jacques Arcadelt (1507-1568). Its theme is the awakening, of the sensual and erotic power of the spoken word, and its transformation into song, through the love poetry of Petrarch (1304-1374) and his later imitators, including Pietro Bembo (1470-1547).

Although he's often skirted the edges of blues music, at heart, saxophonist, keyboardist and composer Edgar Winter is a blues musician. Raised in Beaumont, TX, the younger brother of ukulele player and guitarist Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter has always pushed himself in new directions, synthesizing the rock, blues and jazz melodies he hears in his head.