WINTER WARM: Songs For The Solstice
SOPHIA BILIDES, vocals
Doug Hammer, piano
E. Thomas Compact Discs ETD 102

One of the Top Ten Cabaret CDs of 2007 (Cabaret Hotline Online)

A new cure for winter darkness and as bracing as a shot of brandy. (Boston Globe)

A deep-voiced vocalist with a deeply satisfying new album. An accomplished piece of work, generous of spirit and generous in number of songs. So the short report would be: quantity as well as quality. She has chosen many literate songs with words and phrases that aren't run-of-the-mill, and she seems to enjoy and respect them. Her striking and solid alto is interesting to the ear and she conveys sufficient emotion without having to lean on the colors of various instruments to compensate. (Rob Lester, Talkin’ Broadway)

A great, great voice: very rich, deep and beautiful. A very warm and intimate CD, with an amazing range of tunes, and she does them justice. Lots of thought went into this. (Jordan Rich, WBZ Radio, Boston)

Fabulous interpretation, wonderful renditions, beautiful job. Thank you so much for doing those songs justice – no, for making them better! (Mike Miller, son of songwriters Connie Pearce & Arnold Miller)

A seasonal CD with a difference, Winter Warm is a spicy mix of folk, jazz, musical comedy, and the American songbook, offering hope and humor for the chill-challenged, daylight-deprived, and winter-weary. The songlist features gems by Irving Berlin, Hoagy Carmichael, Hal David, George Shearing, Michel Legrand, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Judy Collins, and many more, all thoughtfully picked to help get you through the winter. The CD explores ways to celebrate, or survive, the solstice by deriving warmth from snuggling, hibernation, heading for warmer climes (imaginary or real), looking towards spring, and (for penguins) the joy of singing.

1. The Year Turns 'Round (Fran Landesman / Tommy Wolf, 1961)
2. Urge For Going (Joni Mitchell, 1966) / Hot Buttered Rum (Tommy Thompson, 1979)
3. I Wanted A Tuba (Lenny Hat, 1986)
4. Make Me Rainbows (Alan & Marilyn Bergman / John Williams, 1967) / Forever Spring (Daryl Sherman, 1980)
5. January Thaw (Lui Collins, 1979)
6. The Fallow Way (Judy Collins, 1996)
7. A Dreamer’s Holiday (Mabel Wayne / Kim Gannon, 1949)
8. An Occasional Man (Hugh Martin / Ralph Blaine, 1955)
9. Baltimore Oriole (Hoagy Carmichael/Paul Webster, 1942) / Winter Moon (Hoagy Carmichael/Harold Adamson, 1957)
10. When Winter Comes (Irving Berlin, 1939) / Little Jack Frost Get Lost (Al Stillman / Seger Ellis, 1947)
11. Be Warmer This Winter (Stan Freeman/Frank Underwood, 1962) / Winter Warm (Hal David/Burt Bacharach, 1957)
12. Pussywillows, Cat-tails (Gordon Lightfoot, 1968)
13. Witch Hazel (Tom Gala, 1992)
14. Secret Gardens (Judy Collins, 1972)
15. Winter’s Got Spring Up Its Sleeve (Connie Pearce / Arnold Miller, 1960)
16. Penguins Must Sing (Winnie Holzman / David Evans, 1987)
17. The Merriest (Connie Pearce / Arnold Miller, 1960)
18. You Must Believe In Spring (Alan & Marilyn Bergman / Michel Legrand, 1967)
19. This Is The Day (Judy Collins / Cynthia McDonald, 1980)
20. I Predict (Leon Pearson / George Shearing, 1953)

Total time 70:28

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Bilides received the 2005 IRNE Award for Best Female Cabaret Performer from the Independent Reviewers of New England, and her shows have been listed among Boston's Best Of Cabaret. She is described as "delightfully eclectic and mesmerizing" (Cabaret Scenes Magazine), "a major cabaret force" (Bay Windows), "a consummate interpreter" (Theater Mirror), and “a sultry voice and sharp wit” (EdgeBoston.com). "Equal to any of the finest cabaret artists in the country today, Bilides consistently renders a brilliant performance" (Cabaret Hotline Online).