Solstice/Equinox

Solstice/Equinox finds Toronto jazz vocalist Diana Panton building a seasonal song cycle out of standards, film themes, and French chanson, tracing one full turn of the year through repertoire chosen with a quietly conceptual eye. Spring arrives with "They Say It's Spring," "The Heather on the Hill," and Freddie Hubbard and Abbey Lincoln's "Up Jumped Spring"; summer drifts through "That Sunday, That Summer," "Estate," "Manhattan," and Henri Salvador's "La Fin des Vacances"; autumn turns wistful with "September in the Rain," "'Tis Autumn," and Barbara's "Septembre"; and winter closes the circle with "Cloudy Morning," "I Like Snow," and "By the Fireside." The album is dedicated to Panton's Scottish grandmother. Panton's longtime quartet returns intact: pianist/bassist/vibraphonist Don Thompson, who arranges nearly the whole program, guitarist Reg Schwager, trumpeter/flugelhornist Guido Basso, and saxophonist Phil Dwyer. Panton's voice — light, precise, and unhurried — sets the record's tone throughout, letting each seasonal image unfold without ever overplaying it. The release carries the 2xHD Fusion mastering treatment, aimed at drawing extra warmth and depth of field from the original session. Diana Panton — vocals Guido Basso — flugelhorn, trumpet Phil Dwyer — saxophones Reg Schwager — guitar Don Thompson — bass, piano, vibraphone