Sarah Mclachlan Wintersongs

Edward Gregson is best known for his dazzling orchestral works and music for brass and wind bands, but this recording of his complete piano works to date reminds us of his equally impressive catalogue of works for soloists and chamber ensembles. Gregson shows us a more intimate side in his piano music. From the Lullaby composed while a student, to the Tippett-inspired Piano Sonata, we are charmed, moved and thrilled in equal measure by this programme of his complete music for solo piano. This recording marks the debut of distinguished pianist Murray McLachlan on Naxos.

The soulful and gorgeous collection – produced by John Leventhal (Rosanne Cash, Elvis Costello) and recorded in his Manhattan home studio – follows Jarosz’s Grammy-winning 2016 release Undercurrent (Rounder). World On The Ground is a collection of stories both real and imagined exploring the tension and inertia of small-town living. Jarosz, a native of Wimberley, TX (pop. 2,626) and current NYC resident, explores the desire for escape set against the ease of staying put. The album is populated by sensitive souls, aimless wanderers, and back-porch daydreamers. Their stories are illuminated by the album’s spacious yet intricate arrangements and Jarosz’s captivating voice and richly detailed songwriting. With the scope of a novel and a sound inspired by classic Texas songwriting, World On The Ground paints a portrait that exists outside of time.

Canadian songstress Sarah Slean first joined forces with Symphony Nova Scotia in April 2012, in an electrifying, groundbreaking collaboration that earned rave reviews and three standing ovations, and was broadcast nationwide by CBC. One of the highlights of the performance was "Lamento", a new work by Canadian star composer Christos Hatzis that was praised as “marvelously colorful and dramatic” (Chronicle Herald, Halifax). In 2018, Symphony Nova Scotia jumped at the chance to work with Sarah again, this time as part of Bernhard Gueller’s "Bucket List”, celebrating his final season as Symphony Nova Scotia’s Music Director (2002-2018). For this new collaboration, Symphony Nova Scotia and the Thunder Bay Symphony co-commissioned another work for Sarah from Christos Hatzis – this time titled "Ecstasy", a counterpoint to "Lamento". Audience reviews called the project “magical” and “a match made in heaven.” Now, Symphony Nova Scotia, Bernhard Gueller, Sarah Slean, Christos Hatzis, and producer Jeff Reilly are proud to release both recordings on one album.

Possessing one of the finest singing voices of the 20th century, Sarah Vaughan was already an established solo star when she signed with Mercury Records in 1954, and between then and 1958, she recorded pop material on the label's main imprint and jazz material on the subsidiary EmArcy Records, although there was some overlap between the two. This lovingly conceived box set collects all of the jazz sessions Vaughan did under the Mercury umbrella during this stay (she returned to the label for a second run between 1963 and 1967) spread over four discs, including Images, originally released as a 10" and then reissued as a full LP with the addition of five more cuts as Swingin' Easy, the self-titled Sarah Vaughan (with Clifford Brown, Herbie Mann, and Paul Quinichette), In the Land of Hi-Fi (with Cannonball Adderley), a live set, Sarah Vaughan & Her Trio at Mister Kelly's…