Starla Harbin Get To Jesus CD

' He sites Paul Simon, Randy Newman, Brian Wilson, Joni Mitchell, Donald Fagan/Walter Becker (Steely Dan) and Andy Partridge (XTC) as major inspirations.

'These folks are The Shit, both musically and lyrically. All present irony, humor, anger, joy, sadness, and occasional silliness, in brilliantly textured ways. The human condition in its infinite variety, and it's all infinitely interesting.

This recording includes thirteen compositions from Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian manuscripts of the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries, moving from hermit's cell to royal court. Ms. Heymann plays on all thirteen pieces, and is joined in eight of these selections by Charlie Heymann (voice and percussion), Ronn McFarlane (lute), Julie Elhard (viola da gamba and vielle) and Laura MacKenzie (flute), all of whom bring a strong and seamless ensemble responsivity to the fore. Mr. McFarlane's lute solo on Canaries is awash in joy. Mr. Heymann's warm, unaffected, baritone/tenor, perfect for the seán nos tradition, sings and declaims the wildly difficult Old Irish in intimate, truthful and affecting deliveries. Ms. Elhard's vielle is poignant, restrained, and wistful; her gamba rich. Ms. MacKenzie on flute is warm and gracious. Special note must be given to the historical reproduction harp made by David Kortier for this recording. Carved (traditionally) from a single felled willow and strung in brass, silver and gold, it is a spectacular instrument. In an example of collaborative research made in heaven, Mr. Kortier could have found no better, more worthy artist to have commissioned this instrument.