Category: Archive
February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
No one has ever questioned the technical range of Ryan’s voice, a soprano of uncommon timbre and sweep. Quibbles arose only from how that voice was sometimes applied. In the past she occasionally overreached for sentiment rather than let it come to her, and the result could get Oprah-gooey for listeners.
In her latest Shanachie solo CD, “The Farthest Wave,” Ryan allows songs to unfold organically, whether in composition or interpretation, and the result is an artistic breakthrough. It is the album critics (including this one) and public alike knew she was capable of, and it is one of the most impressive recordings of 2005.
In concert on Nov. 5 at the Towne Crier Caf