Esquisses
IRINA is a cross-pollinating vocalist, composer, and multi instrumentalist whose musical style reflects the rich traditions of Russia, the Middle East and Asia. Born into a family of professional musicians in the central Asian republic of Kazakhstan, Irina currently resides in San Francisco, California. Rich with the multi-ethnic sounds that surrounded her childhood, and the power and depth of her own soul, she lends her warm and other-worldly vocals to an eclectic range of music from classical to traditional, as well as electronic and other crossover genres. She has worked and recorded with an amazing cast of musicians, including Glen Velez, Hamza El Din, Paul McCandless of Oregon, and pop sensation Jewel.After a span of almost 20 years on the Windham Hill and Narada Records labels, pianist IRA STEIN is now exploring new worlds on his own with several intriguing collaborations. In addition to his current recording with Irina, Stein has also recently released BACH IMPROVISATIONS, recorded live in concert at Yoshi's. This highly original album features himself on piano, along with soprano sax and cello, performing lyrical and elegant improvisations on nine Bach Chorales.