Silver Linings

Tracks:

1. Calm Beyond the Storm (7:48)
2. Night in L.A. (6:46)
3. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 (5:22)
4. Somewhere (from "West Side Story") (5:34)
5. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (5:44)
6. Unchained Melody (5:56)
7. Strawberry Fields Forever (5:27)
8. Here, There, and Everywhere (4:19)
9. Emperor Fantasy (7:51)
10. Pachelbel: Canon (14:30)

This album conveys the deepest musical resonances of two artists who, as voice and violin, weave an enchanting tapestry of relaxation music.

Daniel Kobialka was struck by the stunning perfection of Sylvia McNair's vocal performance when he first heard her in a rehearsal of Handel's Messiah with the San Francisco Symphony in 1980. Noted as he is himself for his musical "strength and devotion" (Leonard Bernstein) and as being "a sensitive and intelligent performer with a natural gift for his instrument" (Aaron Copland), Kobialka recognized immediately McNair's rare lyricism and subtle tone color that "struck to his emotional core".

In each piece, from the great classics to contemporary songs by artists like The Beatles, Sylvia's deliciously pure, crystalline notes weave an almost subliminal, otherworldly expression of beauty and peace throughout the music or, at other times, her vocalizations of the lyrics of familiar songs captivate and charm listeners while transporting them to places so familiar yet indescribably beautiful.

Calm Before the Storm has us flying amongst the stars with the angels; Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 transports us to a warm romantic night in Rio; Somewhere reminds us of where we were, who we were with, and what hopes filled our hearts when we first saw that wonderful movie "Westside Story", and Sylvia makes us believe all over again; and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face is perhaps the most beautiful rendition of that song ever, expressing a lover's tenderness or a parent's awe when first gazing at a newborn babe.

This album is a stunning example of two artists whose shared influences and passions combine to convey the rare combination of exquisite talent and devoted effort.