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Priscilla Herdman co-produced Moondreamer -- a companion piece to her highly acclaimed and successful lullaby collection, Stardreamer -- with cellist and long-time collaborator Abby Newton. Other musicians featured on the recording include Al Petteway (guitar), Donald Sosin (piano), Jay Ungar (fiddle), David Hornung (accordion), Scott Petito (fretless electric bass), Anne Hills (harmony vocals) and Cindy Mangsen (harmony vocals & guitar).
Geoffrey Himes of The Washington Post has noted that "Herdman has an uncanny knack for turning up brilliantly written folk tunes," and this is nowhere better evidenced than by the songs that Priscilla has chosen to perform on Moondreamer: "Howl At the Moon" (Cheryl Wheeler) * "A Velveteen Love Song" (Bob Franke) * "One Thousand Pairs of Pajamas" (Anne Hills) * "Mid Night Round" (Anne Hills & Allen Power) * "While you Sleep" (Anne Hills) * "Bluegrass Boy" (Peter Rowan) * "Stars on the Water" (Si Kahn & Fred Koller) * "John O'Dreams" (words: Bill Caddick, music adapted from Tchaikovsky Symphony #6) * "Moon and Me" (Bill Harley) * "Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel) " (Billy Joel) * "Dreamland" (Mary Chapin Carpenter) * "All Through the Night" (Traditional Welsh folk song) Here is a sample of what the critics have said about Priscilla and Stardreamer: * "Priscilla Herdman's Stardreamer makes every day Mother's Day... Few art forms can preserve the past, celebrate the present and be a gift for the future the way music can... when it carries a child from the end of the day gently to the Land of Nod, it truly is magical." The Poughkeepsie Journal * "Stardreamer shines as music for all times... the album certainly is the stuff dreams are made of." Lakeville Journal & Millerton News * "Priscilla Herdman calls forth the spirit of love when she sings...her audience departed the richer for having been there... The songs – beautiful songs all - continued to unfold, literally one highlight after another... It will stand as a treasured memory, never to be forgotten." Spotlight on Eastern Maine * "Herdman is gifted with a rich, almost opulent timbre. She reminds one a bit of Judy Collins; both have similarly impeccable enunciation and seemingly effortless deliveries. But Herdman's overall artistry seems considerably more intimate, personal and, at times, esoteric." The Philadelphia Inquirer * "Herdman has a remarkable voice: clear, shining sparkling...she is no mere craftsman, but a singer who finds the artistic heart of each tune... Herdman is certainly one of the ablest talents in contemporary folk music." Chicago Sun Times * "Excellent taste in material and an elegant, pitch-perfect voice." Rolling Stone A lengthy feature article on Priscilla and her music graced the cover of The New York Times Sunday Arts section on January 11, 1998! |