Review and More

Our Review

For more than 10 years, Quartette has shone as a Canadian super group, supremely gifted in the ways of country, folk, and pop. "I See a Star" is their second Christmas album (their first CD "It's Christmas" is also reviewed on this site), and it is a stellar contribution to the field of holiday music.

Quartette consists of four talented women: Cindy Church, Caitlin Hanford, Gwen Swick, and Sylvia Tyson. In order for a group like this to be successful, the secret is harmony. Quartette is bursting with superb harmony, both technically accurate and warmly winning.

Classifying this music is a bit difficult since these artists cross through several genres effortlessly. Quartette clearly does folk, country, and pop (and combinations thereof) without a glitch. Take your pick--it's all good.

The 12 tracks here include eight new numbers, and they are indeed catchy originals. "Hope, Peace, and Joy," for example, is a twangy, countrified knockout written by Hanford and Swick (with Gail Dickie); and Swick's "wah-wah" jazzy "Santa, Please" is reminiscent of "Santa Baby" but remains uniquely its own. The a cappella "Three Wise Men" (by Tyson) is a folksy song with a gospel soul. The title number "I See a Star" (by Church with Susan Crowe) is a spirited folk/country cross with great heart. "The Miracle of Christmas" (by Swick) is a syncopated delight with great humor. "Snowflakes from Heaven" (by Hanford with John Sheard) plays like the latest standard emanating from the Big Band era. The plaintive a cappella "Send Someone for Me" (by Church and Hanford) sounds like an age-old gospel number; the message is heartrending. Every song is a brand new holiday gem, just ready to be discovered!

Of the four traditional numbers on the CD, I particularly enjoyed the fragile, angelic vocal harmonies lifting "In the Bleak Midwinter" and the a cappella "All through the Night." Voices just cannot get more beautiful than this.

I see a bright future for "I See a Star"! This fun album presents a pleasing package that will appeal to a broad range of holiday listeners.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2004)

More

From the liner notes:

Quartette is:
Cindy Church
Caitlin Hanford
Gwen Swick
Sylvia Tyson

Also on the album:

Victor Bateman: upright bass
Kevin Breit: cavaquinho, National Steel
Chris Coole: claw-hammer banjo
Randall Coryell: drums
Steve Donald: trombone
Wendell Ferguson: acoustic guitar, high string guitar
Bruce Good: autoharp
Danny Greenspoon: dobro
Randy Kempf: electric bass
George Koller: upright bass, dilruba
Mitch Lewis: electric guitar
Rob Pitch: acoustic guitar, nylon string guitar
Don Reed: fiddle
John Sheard: piano
Sylvia Tyson: button accordion
Rick Whitelaw: acoustic guitar, nylon string guitar
Dan Whiteley: mandolin

From the website:

About the group: Since their first appearance at Toronto's Harbourfront venue in the summer of 1993, Quartette has quickly become one of the most electrifying collaborations on the Canadian music scene. The four women combine formidable individual talents into an astonishing whole. The soaring harmonies and unique arrangements create a musical mosaic with flavours of folk, country, swing and bluegrass all solidly rooted in traditional music..

About the album:

Quartette's fresh and beautiful new Christmas collection "I See a Star", is a lively mixture of traditional and original material, performed with the group's trademark sparkling harmonies and unique vocal and instrumental arrangements.

Produced by veteran producer, Danny Greenspoon, Quartette's newest CD features 14 songs in an exciting variety of musical styles blended together in the kind of seamless performance their audience has come to love.

Quartette

I See a Star

Artist site

Track List