Christine Tobin, voice & composition, Gareth Lockrane, flutes, Phil Robson, guitar, Kate Shortt, cello, Francesco Turrisi, piano, Dave Whitford, double bass.
Sligo Jazz Project, Hawk’s Well Theatre and the Yeats International Summer School join to present a celebration of W. B. Yeats in words and music from Christine Tobin, Irish singer-songwriter, composer and award winning jazz vocalist. ‘Sailing To Byzantium’ is a collection beautiful settings of 12 poems by W.B Yeats. Christine won a 2012 British Composer Award for this work and the album received many 5 star reviews. She works with the poems on a deep intuitive level creating music that draws you into a world of unalloyed soulfulness, conjuring watercolour accompaniments on The Fisherman and a hypnotic, prayer-like refrain on Sailing To Byzantium. The broad palette of harmony and colour throughout draws on influences from folk, jazz and twentieth century classical, from Miles to Messiaen.
“In this beautiful collection of songs based on the poetry of WB Yeats, vocalist Christine Tobin has created an unqualified masterpiece….(she) perfectly gauges the emotional and spiritual resonances of the texts, aided by performances of incredible subtlety and understatement.”
Jazzwise - Recommended