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Sapphire Days

Released: 2002

$16.00

Physical CD
“Sapphire Days is an opportunity to slow down and to enjoy the beauty in life. It is a call to just be. Immediately upon hearing the delicate notes I could feel a Higher Power within each song. It is hypnotically intoxicating. Sweeten is a gifted and anointed spirit to be sure. I highly recommend the contemporary songs of Sapphire Days to those who love the piano, those who need peace of mind, and to those who are moved by musical genius.”

Spirit-Works

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Tracks

1. Walking with the Wind

2. Thin Ice
3. Sapphire Days
4. A Prayer for Shazu
5. Solitude
6. Smoke
7. In the Shadows
8. Cotton Candy Skies
9. White Spirit
10. Arrow
11. Grains of Sand
12. Autumn’s Child
13. Canopy of Stars
You know the ones…not a cloud graces a sky so blue that it aches and the sun seems to sprinkle everything with magic dust. You’ve seen them in Winter when the sun flickers against a silvered landscape, in Spring, when the first brave flower bursts through the snow to feel the sun’s warmth for the first time in a year, in Summer when the water glitters like gemstones and in Autumn, when Midas lurks around every tree and the slight chill in the air ignites our energies and reminds us of approaching Winter, completing the circle.
Album Notes (continued)
These Sapphire days are the standouts, the gems of our lives, which we should savor and treasure in our minds and hearts. But, if you really think about it, every single day has the potential to be a sapphire day, even without the blues and golds, for there is treasure everywhere, if you know how to look!

That’s what the concept behind this album is…So, I hope you will count the grains of sand, revel in the cotton candy floating overhead, see that which lies in the shadows, and reach to the stars while walking with the wind on a sapphire day!

Autumn’s Child

In remembrance of our beloved Shazu
July 9, 1987- October 12, 2001

Autumn’s Child knows that the days are much shorter;
But the content is richer, colors , bolder,
As sun dapples a perfect indigo sky,
And vibrant days bid Summer good-bye.

No longer boisterous sounds of Summer abound,
But a hush, and a peace, settle over the ground.
Now Midas lurks around every tree,
And the shy birds sing their reverie.

There’s a gentle caress in the wind that he feels,
But the seagull’s cry is harder to hear…
The coupling of sand and the sea’s still the same,
But the beaches are empty, only lovers remain.

Chill air pales to a sun that warms, like his Mother,
Leaves rain down to become crispy ground cover.
Autumn’s Child knows this is Earth’s finest hour,
Painted with brushes by a masterful power..

A season for savoring, like, homemade apple pie,
From orchards that sway ‘neath that indigo sky..
A time for the taking, remem’bring “Before”,
A time for embracing every gem in God’s store.

There’s a gentle caress in the wind that he feels,
But the seagull’s cry is harder to hear…
Autumn’s Child knows that the days are much shorter…
A.S.

Reviews
“Ann Sweeten is the proud author of a beautiful album titled Sapphire Days. The talented pianist offers up a ‘bakers dozen’ of instrumental, musical poetry from her heart. Check out gems for the heart and mind from environmentally related cuts as, Walking With the Wind, the haunting Thin Ice, the all encompassing Canopy of Stars… Outstanding album!”

Boston Post-Gazette

 


 

“Ann Sweeten’s Sapphire Days is quite simply one of the most graceful and quietly soothing albums I’ve heard.”

Solo Piano Publications

 


 
“Very much on the beam new age piano work, this set is well-textured and engrossing throughout making Sweeten a sure bet to be one of those left-field sensations everyone thinks came out of nowhere. A winning adult music bet.”

Midwest Record Recap

 


 
“Elegant, mellow grand piano music, accompanied by a synthesizer, bearing calm, joy, and a touch of sadness, flows from this CD and makes the heart grow calm. Classically trained and internationally celebrated musician, Sweeten doesn’t intrude on her musical creations, except to be the channel through which they flow as they celebrate Earth, the sun that blesses it, and all her creatures. The music bears hints of the musical masters’ phrasing in the music. I hear notes of Barber, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Brahms; seagulls over the water; a sparrow in the grass; her dog, Shazu, beside her, the sun on her shoulders. This CD is a blessing of sound.”

The Phoenix

 


 
“If you haven’t heard Ann Sweeten’s music before, you are in for a treat because of her beautiful melodies and command of the grand piano.”

Jazz News

 


 
“Sweeten’s music is as intense and passionate as it is reflective and relaxing. Solid technique and a penchant for emotion.”

Sound of Timeless Jazz

 


 
“If you’re inclined to just kick back and take in some beautiful and relaxing keyboard compositions, Ms. Sweeten’s CD is one of the best piano albums we’ve heard. You can very clearly hear that she’s been classically trained, but her playing style is relaxed enough to convey freedom from convention… You can’t call this music ‘Jazz’, nor can you pigeonhole it as ‘New Age’… because it’s purely/simply ‘Ann’. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for any/all listeners who need something that affirms how much beautiful music, and the mem’ries it can bring, can mean to keeping us all civilized.”

Improvization Nation

 


 
“Sapphire Days, Ann Sweeten’s newest title, continues her tradition of releasing deeply peaceful piano-based instrumentals. As a composer, arranger, and producer as well as an inimitable pianist, Sweeten crafts contemporary melodies that soothe frayed nerves as they heal the spirit. In addition to her sublime work on the piano, Sweeten adds a delicious layer of synthesizers to several tracks. An exceptional choice for gentle movement, yoga, meditation, massage…Sapphire Days is a wonderful gift for the heart.”

Sedona – Journal of Emergence!

 


 
“Over the course of four previous releases, Ann Sweeten has crafted a signature sound. From the first time I heard her music, I realized she had a certain way of composing evocative piano music and using her synthesizers to color the music with enough texture to add just the right amount of drama and feeling. It’s a rare talent. Sweeten uses her consummate skill in balancing the acoustic and the electronic. For comparison’s sake I’d draw a similarity to Danny Wright of a long time ago when he displayed the same ability to blend piano and keyboards in an equally impressive way. However, at this point in time, it is Sweeten who sits at the top of the hill when it comes to this subgenre of gentle new age music.”

Wind and Wire

 


 
“Above all else, Ann Sweeten is a passionate human being. She just happens to have an exquisite talent to speak her world experiences through her piano compositions.”

Phenomenews

 


 
“This is a gorgeous listen… lovely instrumental piano.”

Collected Sounds – A Guide to Women in Music

 


 
“Very melodic album… the style is almost ‘old school’ classical… .exceptional… “

Musicwatch

 


 
“This is beautiful contemporary instrumental piano. Her last non-seasonal recording went to Number 3 on the national New Age Voice airplay chart meaning it was one of the most-played albums of modern instrumental music in North America. Ann is quickly becoming the equal of popular pianists such as George Winston, Suzanne Ciani, David Lanz… .With songs inspired by animals and different aspects of nature, Sapphire Days has melodies that quickly sound familiar as they reach out and affect the listener in a primal and earthy manner.”

The Crystal Tower Magazine

 


 
“A brilliant pianist, Ann’s music will make you rich in seeing things that you didn’t see before. It makes you look inside yourself and reach for your inner child.”

Muzik Reviewz.com

 


 
“Her heartfelt piano expertise pays tribute to working in harmony with nature. For a relaxing, yet fulfilling experience, listen to this CD.”

Accent on Tampa Bay: Music Tracks

 


 
“Ann Sweeten is ripe with emotion throughout this recording and every note is played to perfection, effortlessly enlightening the listener. Each song is a jewel unto itself and I am so honored to have shared this CD with you.”

Planet Lightworker.com

 


 
“From the cover artwork to the music inside, this is one of the most relaxing, soothing, and enjoyable piano albums I have ever laid ears on. The music is beautiful in every way with its soft wispy bellows of sound and stirs of emotions. Sapphire Days has a classical piano touch that is smooth, soft and enlightening. An excellent album..”

Space Junkies Magazine

 


 
“Sapphire Days is an opportunity to slow down and to enjoy the beauty in life. It is a call to just be. Immediately upon hearing the delicate notes I could feel a Higher Power within each song. It is hypnotically intoxicating. Sweeten is a gifted and anointed spirit to be sure. I highly recommend the contemporary songs of Sapphire Days to those who love the piano, those who need peace of mind, and to those who are moved by musical genius.”

Spirit-Works

 


 
“Sapphire Days is pure musical poetry, falling softly on the ear and gently on the soul. Classically trained pianist Ann Sweeten has created an album whose melodies blend magical nuances of passion and serenity to bring the majesty of nature to life. My experience was one of soul renewal as I melted into the magnificent beauty of these heartfelt solo piano compositions. This CD is truly a treasure. I could listen forever.”

The Light Connection

 


 
“Sweeten brings an air of sensitivity to the classical piano, and she really captures the sense of Sapphire Days in this CD. Perfect for romantic evenings or for bringing cheer to your day.”

Creations

 


 
“Classically trained contemporary instrumental pianist, composer, arranger and producer, Ann has a lot of talent. This is outdoors music played with eloquence and gentle sophistication very close to the heart.”

Neo-Zine

 


 
“Perfect for the romantic evening or even if you’re just alone wishing for one; some very beautiful chording and orchestration… a lot of it reminds one of the old classic movie days, ‘here’s looking at you, kid,’ that sort of thing.”

Ragged Blade

 


 
“Ann is quickly becoming one of the most popular new pianists around, much in the same vein as George Winston and Michael Jones.”

Rama Ribbit

 


 
“Sapphire Days is both inspiring and life-giving.”

Past and Present

 


 
“Ann Sweeten aims for your heart and hits the target! Magic abounds… “
 

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