By Irene Young–
Barbara Higbie, one of the Bay Area’s most prolific composers, has carried on the tradition of Solstice concerts begun by her former record label, Windham Hill. The photos shared here depict her Solstice concert at The Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, where she warmed and wowed a sold-out crowd with: Vicki Randle (voice/guitar), Mia Pixley (cello), Michaelle Goerlitz (drums), Kofy Brown (bass), and Jasper Manning (mandolin). Singer-songwriter Lisa Koch (pictured solo) opened the 2nd set with her hilarious Beatles parodies. After a captivating evening, everyone joined in for a stunning rendition of “Silent Night.”
Higbie has released five instrumental albums in 6 years, an astonishing creative achievement. Her “Chillogy” of 3 albums—Resonance (2019), Murmuration ( 2021), and Presence ( 2023)—was followed by 2024’s Solstice and this year’s Dreams.
Dreams (2025) was expressly composed to guide the listener into deep sleep. With an overactive world around us, a restful night has become a common quest. The intention of this restorative music is to transmit a sense of peace, comfort, and release. Dreams will soon be available at Higbie’s website (https://barbarahigbie.com/).
With the support of producer Vogel, and stellar musicians such as Jami Sieber, Randle, Goerlitz, and Pixley, each of Higbie’s instrumental projects is grounded by the amazing sound of a $200,000 German “Steingraber” piano that resides in a Berkeley recording studio. Continuing the Windham Hill approach of super high fidelity recording techniques and instruments, the sound is incomparable, as is Higbie’s boundless creativity.
For more information about Barbara Higbie and to purchase her CDs, go to: https://barbarahigbie.com/
Acclaimed photographer Irene Young has captured iconic images of artists on CD covers, for promotional photos, and more. She is the author of “Something About the Women: Five Decades of Seeing by Irene Young.” https://ireneyoungfoto.com/
Published on January 16, 2025
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