From the Mouth of a Snapdragon

From the Mouth of a Snapdragon, released in 1992, pays homage to nature:  the four seasons, wildflowers, the Seine River and more.  Linda also experimented with unusual sounds from panpipes and Indonesian gamelan instruments to accordion and ocarina.  The mostly original compositions are inspired in part by Linda’s three years in Paris beginning in 1986.  She also includes minimalist bass, drums, voice renditions of French composer, Claude Nougaro’s La Pluie Fait des Claquettes as well as the classic Gershwin song Summertime.  Duke Ellington also shows up in an original poem, Creole Love Call, named after a composition that Duke recorded in 1927.  Featured instrumentalists are Jill Fredericksen (percussion), Miguel Camacho (panpipes), and Chris Allen (vibraphone). The title of the recording emerges from Linda’s fascination with snapdragons as a child and her curiosity about where the creative process alights from.  For all we know, creativity comes from the mouth of a snapdragon!

Listen to “Angels Are On Parade” from From the Mouth of a Snapdragon:

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Magic of the Heart

The main theme of Magic of the Heart, recorded in 1999, is the cycle of life beginning with a lullaby, Rock-a-Bye Baby and ending with an a cappella version of Ave Maria sung in Latin.  Her accompaniment includes cello (Wayne Templeman), accordion (the late Robert Davine), violin (Chinese musician, Hong An), vibraphone (Chris Allen) and guitar (Paul Musso).   The majority of the compositions are Linda’s own, and she also features a Tanzanian folk chant performed in Swahili, Malaika, and a song with French lyrics by the composer, Claude Nougaro and music by Charles Mingus.  Linda painted the cover art which showcases a gouache of a raven and tulips with bright red hearts dangling from their roots.  A fitting image for Magic of the Heart.

Listen to “River and Rain” from Magic of the Heart:

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Wild Life

Linda Maichʼs new recording, Wild Life, pays homage to a love of languages, well-crafted songs from composers as diverse as Abbey Lincoln and Bob Dylan, and the magic of music. All this is wrapped into jazzy and spacious arrangements of songs performed in French, English, and Portuguese. The CD features Linda on vocals accompanied by French pianist, Frédéric Desmoulins, guitarist, Paul Musso, bassist, Robin Ruscio, and drummer, Antwon Owens.

Listen to “Butterfly” from Wild Life:

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