Track 7 Produced by Steve Perry

Track 13 Produced by George Winston

A Winter's Solstice - Silver Anniversary Edition (BMG 01934 11604) - 2001

After a few years as Partner at Will Ackerman's Imaginary Roads, Dawn Atkinson returns to Windham Hill in full-force for their Winter's Solstice Silver Anniversary Edition. This quick-paced album is over too fast, but each piece is lovingly crafted and beautifully mixed. In my opinion it's the best album sonically of the entire collection, and my 5th favorite album from this collection overall. After 5 years of myriad mockups of Windham Hill/BMG Holiday music, the Silver Anniversary Edition is indeed a welcome listen.

In the liner notes (which are also, once again, carefully crafted and beautifully presented) Dawn Atkinson gives us a wonderful and humbling perspective of the Winter's Solstice, its history, and its influence on her and the artists who are recorded. A lot of thought and care went into creating this album and Atkinson carefully brings her audience back into the trust of the brand and the music. As it turns out, this album became the last (thus far) in the Winter's Solstice series. Though Atkinson would produce every subsequent Holiday album, BMG rebranded the series to "Christmas" albums.

The original tracks in many ways outshine the classic covers: Ackerman/Aaberg's Beneath the Trees is as haunting and cold as it is beautiful and hypnotic, and Ricahrd Schönherz's Earth's Last Picture feels both isolating and warm. Steve Erquiaga never disappoints, and his cover of Greensleeves is a perfect opening to this record.

Ricahrd Schönherz's When Earth's Last Picture Is Painted, and Moon Lake by Snuffy Walden. This album comes highly recommended.