Windham Hill America

Various Artists

TRACKS:
  1.  The Water Is Wide

         Paul McCandless
  2.  O Shenandoah

         Philip Aaberg
  3.  Summertime

         David Grisman
  4.  Variations On Solace

         Dick Hyman
  5.  Angelina Baker

         Barbara Higbie
  6.  It Ain't Necessarily So

         George Winston
  7.  One Hand, One Heart

         Tracy Silverman
  8.  The Times They Are A-Changin'

         Fred Simon
  9.  Prelude No. 2

         Chris Botti
10.  Sophisticated Lady

         Steve Erquiaga
11.  In A Mist

         Philip Aaberg / Darol Anger
12.  On The Threshold Of Liberty

         Mark Isham

The Windham Hill label has been providing listeners with solace, serenity and joy for nearly 30 years. Now, the label is providing us with 12 reminders of our nation's great cultural heritage. ‘Windham Hill America’ features a dozen great American songs -- by composers ranging from Stephen Foster and the Gershwins to Bob Dylan and Duke Ellington, along with two traditional numbers – all performed by Windham Hill's best-selling artists, including George Winston, Mark Isham, Philip Aaberg and David Grisman. Special guests include Chris Botti (Sting, The Caroline Rhea Show) applying his horn to “Prelude No. 2.”

‘Windham Hill America’ explores a repertoire of American roots music, coming from the folk, jazz and classical traditions of American composers.  The songs feature classic Windham Hill-style performances such as “O, Shenandoah,” the traditional song performed by Paul McCandless on English horn, and Mark Isham’s “On the Threshold of Liberty” alongside edgier material like pianist Fred Simon’s standout version of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin.’’  George Winston and the mandolinist David Grisman (with guitarist Tony Rice) turn in jazz oriented performances of Gershwin songs – Grisman’s version of “Summertime” is a wonderful blues lullaby for the 21^st century.