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“Into The Stars” is Priscilla Herdman’s 10th solo CD and
her first in five years. Herdman is known for her stunning vocals,
her thoughtful selection of material by writers both familiar and new to the listener,
and for the delicate yet rich production of each project. "Into
the Stars" is an inspired collection that celebrates the beauty of the
night sky and the wonder of the universe that surrounds us. Her long time love
of all things celestial and her fascination with the Hubble Space Telescope
photographs, led her to gather these songs which relate both literally and
metaphorically to the universe and night sky.
The songs range from deeply emotional and romantic to playful and
imaginative. Some take a narrative ballad approach (Underneath
the Stars, Sail Away, Vincent, Ideas Are Like Stars), some connect to the
theme more literally (Satellite Sky, The Galaxy Song, Pleiades, Blue Boat
Home) and some poetically (The Play, Firefly Lights, Comet, The Moon’s
Song).
In addition to a 33 year solo performance and recording career, she is
also well known for her series of multi-award-winning family CDs (Stardreamer,
Daydreamer and Moondreamer) and for 20 years as one third
of the celebrated women’s trio Herdman~Hills~Mangsen with her
friends Anne Hills and Cindy Mangsen.
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Into the Stars -
December 2008
Stardreamer Music SDM 2001
Produced by Scott Petito
Priscilla Herdman vocals
Scott Petito guitars, piano, keyboards, bass,
octave mandolin,
ebow and percussion
Eugene Friesen cello
Dave Payette piano
Helen Avakian classical and steel string guitars
Chris Carey percussion and drums
Max Cohen steel string and electric guitars
Rachel Handman violin
Anne Hills & Suzanna Hermans harmony vocals
- The Play Peter Mayer
- Underneath The Stars Kate Rusby
- Blue Boat Home Peter Mayer
- Sail Away John McCutcheon
- Pleiades Anne Hills
- Satellite Sky Mark Heard
- Firefly Lights Leslie Ritter & Scott Petito
- Vincent Cello Intro Eugene Friesen
- Vincent Don McLean
- Comet Pierce Pettis & Sally Barris
- Ideas Are Like Stars Mary Chapin Carpenter
- The Moon’s Song Anne Hills
- The Galaxy Song Eric Idle & John Du Prez
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"Priscilla Herdman is one of the
clearest and most compelling voices of contemporary folk
music." Stephen Holden, The New York
Times
"Excellent taste in material and an
elegant, pitch-perfect voice." Rolling
Stone
"At the center of her charms is that
voice....her voice is miraculously pure and effortlessly
beautiful, a voice that immediately draws people in and wins
them over" Scott Alarik, The Boston
Globe
"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
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The Road Home -
May 2003 - Redwing Music RWMCD5412
Priscilla Herdman: vocal, guitar and Tibetan singing bowl
Scott Petito: fretless, fretted & upright bass, mandolin and
ebow
Artie Traum: lead & rhythm guitars
Al Petteway: lead & rhythm guitars & cittern
Brian Melick: drums & percussion
David Hornung: accordion
Anne Hills: vocal harmonies and banjo
Harmony Voices:
Anne Hills on Gentle Arms of Eden, Wild Wind, and Kisangani
Cindy Mangsen on Wild Wind and Kisangani
Suzanna Hermans on No Telling
Nick Reineke on Kisangani
Please see the lyrics
and credits page
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"Priscilla Herdman is blessed with one
of the world's most enrapturing voices." Dirty
Linen
"Voices this sweet, full and
controlled are rare in folk music. Forever
& Always demonstrates how Herdman's voice
continues to mature like a fine merlot wine. It's easy to
become intoxicated by her voice...Herdman also includes the
traditional "The Water Is Wide" that glistens and
deepens in the grace of her interpretation... When life becomes
too loud and the message too strident, play this recording to
help set the world right." R. Warren
Sing Out!
From Progressive Adult Radio Picks
speaking of Forever
& Always: "Priscilla
Herdman is a necessary inclusion for those of you that include
the Folk genre in your programming." Progressive
Adult Radio
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Forever and Always - 1994 - Flying Fish FF 70637 (CD) FF 90637
(Cassette)
Priscilla Herdman: vocals,
Artie Traum: guitars, Donald Sosin:
piano, Abby Newton: cello, Scott
Petito: fretless bass, David
Hornung: accordion, Jay Ungar: fiddle,
Molly Mason: acoustic bass, Steve Gorn:
bansuri bamboo flutes, Bill Staines, Anne Hills,
& Cindy Mangsen: harmony vocals. Produced by:
Abby Newton & Priscilla Herdman.
- Ramblin' Heart - 4:17 (Paul Reisler)
- This Time Of The Year - 4:11 (John McCutcheon)
- The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - 4:56 (Ewan
MacColl)
- And So It Goes - 2:47 (Billy Joel)
- When I Call Upon Your Love - 4:20 (Cathy Fink)
- Music To Me - 3:51 (Bill Staines)
- The Water Is Wide - 3:59 (Trad.)
- Ashokan Farewell - 4:48 (Jay Ungar-Grian MacGregor)
- Somewhere In Time - 3:23 (David Mallett)
- I'll Love You Forever - 4:44 (Allen Power)
- Follow That Road - 5:55 (Anne Hills)
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"The sound of the album is quietly
gorgeous, and its material...is consistently fine. An
atmosphere of spiritual luminescence prevades the record."
Stephen Holden - The New York Times
"Folk singer Herdman's placidly
beautiful voice demands attention: crystal-clear
arrangements incorporating guitar, cello, fiddle, bass and
accordion hold it...it doesn't get any better than on this,
artist's fourth album."
Billboard
"This collection of songs again shows
Priscilla Herdman's talent for selecting significant
material from the finest writers (including herself), and
making these songs even more special through her performance of
them...This record is a remarkable achievement. It shows the
power of good songs sung right." Sing
Out!
"One of the most wonderful albums
I've found lately, with an exceptional selection of songs
that move to tears of joy, of belief, life and
love...Outstanding." Canadian River
Music
This album was originally released as
an LP.
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Darkness Into Light - 1987 - Flying Fish FF 70420 (CD) FF 90420
(Cassette)
Priscilla Herdman: vocals
& guitar, Abby Newton: cello, Mark Rust:
guitar and harmony vocals, Artie Traum:
guitar, Jay Ungar: fiddle, Molly
Mason: bass, David
Hornung: accordion, Anne Hills, & Cindy
Mangsen: harmony vocal. Produced by: Priscilla Herdman
& Abby Newton.
- The Faith Of Man - 3:58 (Bill Staines)
- When The Children Come Home - 3:00 (Henry Lawson-Trad.
arr. M. & M. Jackson)
- Old Jack Ryan - 2:35 (Kathryn Tait)
- I Remember Loving You - 4:37 (Bruce [Utah]
Phillips-Priscilla Herdman) Duet with Bruce [Utah]
Phillips
- Lonesome Road - 2:40 (James Taylor)
- The Coming Of The Roads - 3:30 (Billy Edd Wheeler)
- Wood River - 3:15 (Connie Kaldor)
- Rockin In A Weary Land - 2:41 (Lorraine Lee)
- From The Lambing To The Wool - 5:00 (Judy Small)
- Ain't I A Woman - 2:25 (Sojourner Truth-Priscilla
Herdman)
- Medley: Turn Around/The Gartan Mother's Lullaby -
3:55 (Malvina Reynolds-Alan Greene/Trad. Irish, arr. P.
Herdman)
- Walls and Windows - 3:40 (Judy Small-Pat Humphries)
- Peace Must Come - 2:50 (Paul Metsers)
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"Herdman has an uncanny knack for
turning up brilliantly written folk tunes and performing them
in a definitive style." Geoffrey Himes - The
Washington Post
"Priscilla Herdman uses her dynamic
vocals to present the words of contemporary political and
social songwriters...she frames the songs in light...Her
collection on Seasons of Change establishes
her as a leading voice of contemporary society."
The Black Sheep Review
"Her collection of songs...is
sensitive and thought-provoking...well selected and strong; her
presentation is beautiful and well done." The
Victory Music Folk & Jazz Review
"A perfect mixture of excellent
musicianship, fine singing and a great cross section of songs
from one of the best song interpreters of today."
Sing Out!
This album was originally released as
an LP.
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Seasons of Change - 1983 - Flying Fish FF 70309 (CD) FF 90309
(Cassette)
Priscilla Herdman: vocals and
guitar, Artie Traum: lead guitar, Evan
Stover: mandolin and fiddle, Abby Newton:
cello, John Sebastian: harmonica, Rick
Epping: accordion & piano. Produced and
arranged by: Priscilla Herdman and
Abby Newton.
- Field Behind The Plow - 4:00 (Stan Rogers)
- Grandfather Song - 4:15 (Tim Small)
- Lies - 5:40 (Stan Rogers)
- Letter From May Alice Jeffers - 3:23 (Fred Small)
- Mothers, Daughters, Wives - 5:25 (Judy Small)
- Desaparecidos - 3:07 (Nancy White)
- Rice and Beans - 4:07 (Bruce [Utah] Phillips and
Priscilla Herdman)
- Deportees - 4:16 (Woody Guthrie and Martin Hoffman)
- Traveler - 2:33 (Si Kahn)
- Thanks to Mother Mercy - 3:43 (David Mallett)
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"Priscilla Herdman is a pop-oriented
folk singer with excellent taste in material and an elegant,
pitch-perfect voice." Rolling
Stone
"Herdman has a remarkable voice:
clear, shiny, sparkling...she is no mere craftsman, but a
singer who finds the artistic heart of each tune...one of the
ablest talents in contemporary folk music."
Chicago Sun-Times
"Forgotten
Dreams...is stunning. The beauty of her vocals and the
songs she's chosen are enhanced by repeated listenings. The
album was produced by Guy Van Duser who plays all the guitar
parts, and Billy Novick, whose saxophone solos enhance several
of the tracks. Their talents, Priscilla Herdman's vocals
and some excellent songs all combine to make Forgotten
Dreams a great success. The Boston
Globe
This album was re-released in 1993 by
Flying Fish on CD. The re-release contains two tracks that were
not on the original release: Lovers and Losers
and Talk To Me of Mendocino. The latter has a new
vocal track that was recorded in 1993. This album was
originally released as an LP.
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Forgotten Dreams - 1980 - Flying Fish FF 70230 (CD) FF 90230
(Cassette)
Priscilla Herdman: vocals, Guy Van
Duser: Guitars (steel string, nylon, archtop, and tenor)
and acoustic bass, Billy Novick: Clarinets, saxophones
(soprano, alto & tenor), flute and percussion, Brian
Torff: Acoustic bass, Jeff
Gutcheon: Piano, Bob Weiner: Drums, also
Ken Pearson: Piano, Jim Tullio: Acoustic
bass, Bill Kinzie: Drums, Les
Lumley: Congas. Produced and arranged by Billy
Novick and Guy Van Duser.
- Forty-Five Years - 2:58 (Stan Rogers)
- Dayton, Ohio -- 1903 - 1:50 (Randy Newman)
- Millworker - 3:11 (James Taylor)
- Brother Can You Spare A Dime - 4:03 (E.Y. Harburg/Jay
Gorney)
- No Man's Land - 5:35 (Eric Bogle)
- Lovers and Losers - 3:49 (Bill Staines)
- Talk To Me of Mendocino - 2:43 (Kate McGarrigle)
- The Coast of Marseilles - 4:07 (Keith Sykes)
- Turnaround - 3:47 (Stan Rogers)
- I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You - 3:22 (Tom
Waits)
- January Thaw - 3:46 (Lui Collins)
- Dreams - 2:26 (Jeff Jones)
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"[A] strikingly beautiful
voice...solidly a folk LP and a stunning one." The
Boston Globe
"The Water Lily is an
album with a grace not unlike fine china."
Audio
Priscilla Herdmans's Water
Lily is on its way to becoming a
classic."Colorado Daily
"The Water Lily
epitomizes folk music at its best." The Boston
Phoenix
This is Priscilla Herdman's debut
album and was re-released in 1995 by Philo/Rounder on CD. Seven
of the eleven cuts are poems of Henry Lawson the great
Australian "People's Poet" (1867-1922). Four of
the Henry Lawson selections have tunes composed by Priscilla
Herdman. This album was originally released as an
LP.
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The Water Lily -
1977 - Philo CD 1014 (CD) C 1014 (Cassette)
Priscilla Herdman: vocals and
guitar, Jay Ungar: fiddle & mandolin,
Abby Newton: cello. Produced by: Priscilla
Herdman.
- The Water Lily - 2:51 (Henry Lawson-Priscilla
Herdman)
- Andy's Gone With Cattle - 2:13 (Henry
Lawson-traditional)
- Old Wooley - 2:30 (Don Lange)
- The Drover's Sweetheart - 3:43 (Henry
Lawson-Priscilla Herdman)
- The Band Played Waltzing Matilda - 6:58 (Eric Bogle)
- Jock O'Hazeldean - 5:01 (traditional, Child
#293)
- Do You Think That I Do Not Know - 4:45 (Henry Lawson-Slim
Dusty)
- The Bush Girl - 4:08 (Henry Lawson-Priscilla
Herdman)
- Reedy River - 5:44 (Henry Lawson-Chris Kempster)
- The Shame Of Going Back - 4:53 (Henry Lawson-Priscilla
Herdman)
- Dancing At Whitsun - 2:58 (John Austin Marshall)
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©2008 Richard L. Hess and Priscilla Herdman All Rights
Reserved Richard Hess's
Web site
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