4.0 out of 5 stars
Windham Hill solo-piano artists shine, Dec 4 2011
By Paul Allaer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Piano Sampler: Windham Hill Re (Audio CD)
I've got 20+ Windham Hill CDs in my collection, almost all of them from the golden 1980s era, when the Whindham Hill label was at its peak of creative (and commercial) efforts. Now that it's December, and we're getting into the holiday spirit, I find myself playing these albums again. Yes, there are several "Christmas"-related releases on the Windham Hill label (more on that later), but I find that most of the Windham Hill releases resonate particularly well for this time of the year.
Take this one for example, "Windham Hill Records Piano Sampler" (9 tracks; 42 min.), which was originally released in 1985. It brings a stellar line-up of Whindham Hill artists, including then-big names like Philippe Aaberg and Tim Story, but also lesser known names like Michael Harrison on the outstanding album opener "In Flight" amd Rick Peller on the equally outstanding album closer "Consolation".
But this album is not about "highlights" or "big names". It is a collection of solo-piano pieces, perfect for the colder evenings. Put this album on, with a great book to read, and you've got yourself a perfectly fine evening for this time of the year. And of course also check out the original "A Winter's Solstice" album from 1986 (which has spawned many sequels but never was bettered).