Reviews

The end result of The Night Between takes the listener on an aural mystical journey with the moody opener “Prelude/Raja” and upbeat “Prelude/End Of An Era“, for instance. One of the musicians joining Chris is very familiar to progressive rock and fusion fans named Michael Manring. There are many other musicians that help Chris’ music vision come to life. This was a surprise album for me because it took several listens to fully appreciate the music. With each listen it grows on me and I hear new sounds each time I hear the album. To me, that’s a sign of an album of substance. I would highly recommend this to fans of the aforementioned singers.

Ron Fuchs - - - ProgNaut - Progressive Music Online Reviews

 

This vaguely menacing, often interesting, and often downright enjoyable album blends many influences: ECM-style chamber music, ambient rock, folk. Perhaps closest is Annette Peacock’s uneasy combination of spoken word and jazz, with Sohre taking the Peacock role. Like Peacock, when she sings, she makes the songs come alive, but when she’s reciting the lyrics, they take on a vaguely menacing, unsettling air. Take the opening “Prelude/Raja.” The ECM vibe is supplied by Michael Moore’s alto sax, while Sohre’s vocals supply the Peacock beat-poetess role. Chad Quist’s electric guitar provides interest and edge, while percussion and loops round things out. “Gravitate” is similarly cast, with sax playing a more prominent role. Primo bassist Michael Manring guests on several tracks. For her part, Sohre also plays keyboards, percussion, and acoustic guitar, but it’s the overall sound with her vocals on top that makes this disc what it is.

Ross Boissoneau - - - Progression Magazine

 

Chris Sohre’s album 'The Night Between' is a unique combination of female singer/songwriter - with echoes of Suzanne Vega - meets a dressed down Radiohead. The composition of each song is intelligently crafted; there is no formulaic writing style. Each number is settled either with piano or guitar and Ms. Sohre demonstrates her ability to artfully write and match lyrics for the varied instrumentation. The flow of the album, starting with the prelude and ending with the coda is reminiscent of the journey and design that classical music takes one on, but this music is distinctly music of our time. Chris Sohre has found a unique style with this new album. I eagerly await the time when I can hear her live. She has a good thing going and must keep it up.

David Woolfrey - - - violist for 'Il Concerto Barocco' - The Netherlands

 

Wonderfully complex and rewarding...
Sometimes I think the highest praise one can give an album/CD is that it is so unique as to defy easy classification. Unfortunately, in the corporate music world of today, such music rarely gets the promotion it des<br>erves. Well, if any CD defies classification and deserves a wide audience it is The Night Between by Chris Sohre. More than once I sat down to write a review of this great CD, but found myself either too caught up in the music, or unable to form an intelligible thought in trying to describe it. The music reaches you on a deep level - it gets inside your head without you ever realizing what's happening. But the time is long overdue for me to make some comments about this CD. I decided to pick up a pen and pad and try some free-association as I listened - just allow my brain to shout out whatever comes to mind. I started by trying to make associations to what other music The Night Between reminded me of - perhaps then I could explain to someone what this CD was all about: Keith Jarrett, Laurie Anderson, Steve Tibbetts, The Doors, the B-52's, Shawn Colvin, the Talking Heads, Jan Garbarek, and others.
Lyrically, it is dense, philosophical, poetic, at times dark and deeply reflective. Words support the music and the music supports the words - it's a symbiotic relationship. Never do the words seem "tacked on" to the music as an afterthought...
There are wonderfully surprising moments of discovery in this music: the eerie fretless bass intro to Interlude / End of an Era; the clarinet suddenly emerging with a "falling riff" in Prelude / Raja as the lyrics "the one who falls down" are sung, the Talking Heads-like frenetic layering of +/ - Discharge, the very Colvinesque Ripples. I could go on and on.
Chris Sohre should be congratulated for creating such a wonderful assortment of songs. Listen closley to this CD - you will be rewarded.

MDKuehn - - - Sheboygan Blues Society

 

If you like this artist - - you might like: Kate Bush, October Project, Happy Rhodes, Suzanne Vega.
This album reminds me of Laurie Anderson. Each song has relaxed smooth vocals with acoustic guitar and piano in background. Fans of the less experimental and less-ambient Laurie Anderson will like it. Also the lovers of Suzanne Vega will be pleasantly surprised with this album.

Rob at ProGGnosis - - - Progressive Rock & Fusion

 

Sohre's third album is a graceful, seemingly effortless welding of world music, jazz and folk influences. Chris Sohre's vocals have an ethereal quality yet can be earthy and the myriad influences come out to play very once in a while. At times I'm thinking of Jane Siberry's fluid style especially when she amps up the jazz influences. Mostly it's just unique and lovely. It's an ecto record that all ectophiles should love.

Anna Maria Stjärnell - - - The Ectophiles Guide to Good Music

 

Chris Sohre nyolcévesen gitározni tanul, tízévesen lányokból álló együttest alakít, 14 éves korában az iskola első számú klarinétosa. Tanulmányait Wisconsin állam egyetemén folytatja, ahol művésztanári diplomát szerez. Tanulmányaihoz kapcsolódóan bejárja (és megszereti) Európát. Manapság ideje egy részét Amerikában, másik részét pedig Hollandiában tölti. A nyolcvanas évek végén Londonban élt, ahol a Kodály-módszert tanulmányozta.
A művésznő rendkívül széles zenei érdeklődését jól példázza, hogy Londonban és Dublinban az alternatív zenei, Torontóban és Amszterdamban a dzsesszéletbe kapcsolódott be, Görögországban világzenét játszó muzsikusokkal dolgozott együtt. Az autentikus népi zenéből pedig Ausztráliában és Új-Zélandon merített. Első zenei anyaga 1984-ben jelent meg Fleeting Echoes címmel (ez a neve a lemezeit megjelentető kiadónak is).
Az életutat végignézve kijelenthető, hogy Sohre nem igazán kényezteti el szólóalbumokkal a rajongóit, hiszen 6-7 évente jelentkezik új anyaggal. 1994-ben jelent meg a Who Will Know, majd 2000-ben a Makria, és ezt követi az idei évben kiadott The Night Between.
Az új album leginkább egy metafizikai elmélkedéshez hasonlít a szerzemények (pl. Gravitate, End of an Era, Wheel of Time stb.) alapján. Az album zenei stílusát nagyon nehéz meghatározni, mert minden olyan zenei irányzat (világzene, dzsessz, alternatív, folk stb.) képviselteti magát rajta, amelyeket Chris Sohre az elmúlt években kipróbált.
Ez a lemez – a maga tíz szerzeményével – igazi impozáns vállalkozás. A felvételek több helyszínen (London, Amszterdam, Washington) lettek rögzítve, közel egytucatnyi muzsikus közreműködésével. Ezek a derék zenészek egy hangszerkiállítást felülmúló mennyiségű, köztük számos egzotikus hangszert szólaltatnak meg. Chris Sohre énekesként, komponistaként és muzsikusként veszi ki a részét az albumkészítésből.
A The Night Between tipikusan olyan album, amelyik csak többszöri meghallgatás után hajlandó teljes egészében megnyílni a hallgató előtt.

Czékus Mihály - - - Papiruszportál Kulturális Honlap

 

Equally important as reviews are comments from folks who picked up The Night Between in hard copy or digital downloads. Merci beaucoup ~ Chris

Rare Brilliance... The great majority of music is easily associated with a particular time or place. One of my favorite things about Chris Sohre's music is how outside it is of time and place. This makes it more difficult to label or classify, also more delightful to listen to. Get two of them, at a minimum... because you are going to want to share it with someone you love, and you are not going to want to give them your copy! ~ Tom from North country US

Quite dark, but at the same time so fresh, jazzy and fragile. Great music. ~ Jan, Czech Republic

The music is beautiful as Chris Sohre herself....Very talented and unusual... ~ Lyudmila from St.Petersburg, Russia

Plus plus... Plus on l'écoute, plus on a envie de l'écouter! ~ Manuel, FR

I heard your CD and it's beautiful... ~ Marijn Philippona - Sound engineer for the Bimhuis - Jazz en Improvisatie, Amsterdam, NL

Out there... Based on the clips, I ordered the CD and was quite pleased. I definitely got my money's worth. The cover photo is quite strange and eerie, and crept into a dream I had recently. The insert with all the lyrics and credits is really colourful with the Hubble picture of Orion. There are lots of little artistic touches I wasn't expecting, such as the swing on the CD (connected to one of the songs and the poetry on the insert cover. The music is the thing though, and it really stands out as being intelligently composed and creatively played. I like the energy between the musicians, and the performances are first-class. Compared to the mountains of other independent CDs I've seen and heard, this one is kind of "out there", as audio-visual experiences go. ~ Joachim

Een aanrader... De muziek van Sohre is zeer de moeite waard. Haar nummers kenmerken zich door rust en gevoel.Muziek om van te genieten. Ga zo door! ~ Paul Mijland

Ooh la la... When I listen to this CD I hear many landscapes: Where am I now? The Jungle? A jazz café and bar? Europe? A night between? A rainy day? The center of my being? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. It's more of a meandering road than a CD. Chris plays with her natural chameleon-like musical ability and makes beautiful music in the process. The surreal cover and printed lyrics are signposts along the way of this journey to between. I hear new things every time I play it. ~ Jahn, Seattle

Ne passez pas à coté...Super...Un album de finesse dans un monde de brute! Bravo!! Une pochette superbe!.. Un cd à s'offrir et à offrir!! ~ MarieJo, FR

Inspired and unusual - - - - I am left energized. Intimate yet powerful – as though she is sitting next to me – she and the other musicians speak in abstract reasoning, weaving a tapestry of lingering imagery. But perhaps all her CD's do, as I read more about her - which, incidentally, draws me further in. So here's the question: when will you again play in Europe - and will you come to Budapest? Let us know!! ~ Miklós

Beautiful, I like it very much - Chris sings what you feel inside, she reaches the deepest levels of being. ~ Tammy Beset from The Netherlands

Chris has come into her own with this album. I listen with good headphones to not miss the exquisite backgrounds. It is wonderful to hear acoustic instruments played by noted artists. From the haunting starting coda to the final note it moves you sensually. Her vocals vary from the innocent girl to the in your face woman. Chris does not stand behind the scenes with this complex and well produced album. She Delivers.~ Woodie Campbell, Poulsbo, WA

It grows on you. When I first heard this CD I wasn’t sure I liked it. It seemed kind of dark, shape-shifting, and cryptic. The style was aggravatingly elusive. But I kept coming back and now it gets played when I’m laying back at home, staring off into space. If you tune in, there’s really a lot going on in the music – oddly reminiscent of Frank Zappa – or is it George Martin….or Joni Mitchell…or a dissonant Suzanne Vega? Weird. Waiting to hear more. Would appreciate a live performance. Please post your tour dates!! ~ A. Sears

I've been following Chris's music for years. The first time I listened to "The Night Between" it made great background music during a busy time of day for me. Repeating again on my CD player I began to listen to the words and what they meant to me. This CD takes me to my "inner peace". It's calming and fun. I especially like "Gravitate". ~ Moira McDonough

Changes...The song is highly engaging and full of emotion. The "changes" in the song can be heard as she transitions from each individual creative portion of the song. Poetic lyrics accompanied by intriguing instrumentals help Sohre to express her feelings musically. ~ A.H.

Multidimensional, innovative, dynamic... Wanting to avoid the same old corporate pop-grind, I happily came across this album. It opens with a Prelude followed by two songs that remind me of jazz or blues-jazz, à la Ricki Lee Jones. A short Interlude transitions into some emotionally darker prog-rock pieces. With the exception of "Ripples" and "Swimming", the second half to the CD seems to drift into a kind of avant-garde, world-folk-psychedelic genre. I was especially drawn into the final track, "Wheel of Time/Coda" which opens with the sound of a playground swing and the voice of a little girl asking, "Will you break my swing when it's high?" Here the style is American folk raga and features some high quality playing by all the musicians, and especially notable is a virtuoso bass performance by Michael Manring.
Overall, despite the somewhat abstact lyrics and meandering genres, I found the CD to be full of fine musicianship that pushes the envelope of popular music. Given its genuine artistic 'quirkiness', this is unlikely to be a commercial hit, but appealing to musicphiles, critically interrested peers and audiences searching for something pleasantly different. ~ Ektar

It's Art. After reading the first review, I would say that the 'meandering genres' referred to are not all that noticeable or distracting. The songs flow into each other in a way that holds your attention. The genre-morphing (along with the poetic lyrics and excellent players) is what makes it stand out from the usual mass-appeal pop music. Sohre's vocals are dymanic, well-controlled, and unified with the music as a whole. The artist seems to have had some classical training, which seeps out of the music's structure - while the voice and guitar styles are right out of folk, rock and jazz. There's something interesting and artful in every song on the album. No filler material on this one. I'm giving it 5 stars. ~ SERGEJ

 

Winter

How to Enjoy Winter
As we listen to this music gazing into the woods behind our log cabin, the shortening days feel just right. The music evokes a feeling of warmth and we are happy waiting for the season to turn and the sun to start its path back up again. What a wonderful way to enjoy winter! ~ Chris Burr

Tasteful ambient music
This is a very tasteful and enjoyable album. We listened to it during our extended family Christmas . As you can tell from the titles, it lacks traditional or relgiious themed music, but that also made it fresh. What we enjoyed was that it was a laid-back and relaxing album but not at all boring or processed. It really conjures up the "winter in the woods" feel. Great to tone down that over-stressed Christmas! ~ Will Riddle

Very nice and natural classical sound
The genre for this music is listed as 'holiday'. I would say it's holiday-ish. It is not Christmas music per se, but would be appropriate for the season. It is more reflective than might be a happy-holiday spirited set of music. Most of the pieces seem to be played in a minor key, and while this may render the general somber feel of the album, it did not strike me as in any way 'depressing'. I would say many of the pieces are quietly happy. The selections are mainly done on the classical guitar, but with significant bass, cello, piano, english horn, and vocal performances. The arrangements may not completely satisfy a classical purist, but will still probably appeal to lovers of classical, as well as those with an ear for something a bit new. In short, this is the kind of music that allows you to follow it closely, or provide background support for thinking, writing, or conversation. ~ E.

I Love This Album!
It’s been years since I have actually sat and listened to a CD. Really listened. Far too often I put on music as light background and then forget all about it. You can do that with Chris Sohre’s Winter Album, of course, if you want to, or you can also let the melodies and harmonies wrap themselves around you. They just draw you in. You think you know where the music is going and it does, except for just a slight variation, an unexpected twist. This is a wonderful album!! I’m hoping there will be three other seasons forthcoming. Starting next spring? ~ Ine-Marie van Dam

Une saison á ne pas louper..
Un album composé de morceaux de musique classique revisités par Chris Sohre.. Moment de détente et de relaxation assuré! ~ Marie Vigroux

I love this music
I did not know what to expect with this CD and to my delight it was just wonderful. I could listen to it all day long. I just wished it was snowing outside. That would creat the right mood. The last song, Winter Nights, I knew as kid. I started humming along and at first I could not figure out why I knew this song. But it all came back and believe it or not but there are Icelandic lyrics to this song. Great job Chris. Just wonderful! ~ Selma

Beautiful!
Wonderful arrangements and fine musicianship abound in this collection of pieces that exemplify the joy and mystery of the season...simply beautiful. ~ Jim Eagan

Wonderful Treat
Chris Sohre's Winter is a delightful find. Especially good for quiet evenings during this often hectic time of year. I love the flute duet; somehow it conjures images of swans making love. And since I love anything with English horns this album is a wonderful treat, the Winter Nights piece, in particular. Keep it coming, Chris! ~ Gregory Reinemer

Lovely
Such lovely and relaxing music. It is perfect for the holidays. Interesting arrangements and instrumentation. Simple, yet rich....like a delicious meal!I Loved every note. It is already a favorite!!!! ~ Shawna

Sohre's Winter is Magical
I have to say I love the Winter CD. I am in no way a music critic but I do know what I like. And, Winter is magical! The mixture of tones and textures transport you such that you feel like you are experiencing the music not just hearing it or listening to it. Well done to all involved! Great cover photo too! ~ Karen

Winter
Compositions are beautiful and very easy to listen too. The mix of classical and folk melodies were perfect dinner music for my annual holiday gathering. Thank you Chris for making it so lovely! ~ MKM

Winter by Chris Sohre
I've listened to this CD now several times, at work, in the car and on holiday vacation and it's time to express oneself. It moves me because of the cultrual collection she has provided...these pieces gave me an impression of being very familiar with all of them through a seasonal connection...I'm happy to have another one of her CD titles and I would say for the market value she has kept to her Golden standards. ~ Ray Colby