Various Artists-Narada The Wilderness Collection (1990)

Narada Productions is one of the most important and influential record labels specializing in new age, jazz, Celtic, and world music. Its origins date back to the early 1980s in New York, and it was founded as a subsidiary of Universal, distributed by MCA Records. Over time, Narada Productions itself established several subsidiary labels to diversify its artists across various musical styles. These included Narada Equinox, Narada Jazz, Narada Mystique, and Narada World, among many others. The extensive roster of musicians who have recorded and released music with Narada includes artists such as David Arkenstone, Jeff Lorber, Paul Speer, David Lanz, Bernardo Rubaja, Peter Buffett, Hans Zimmer, and Charlie Musselwhite. "The Wilderness Collection" is one of Narada's most famous recordings, featuring a carefully curated selection of artists who, according to its promotional material, "praise untouched nature as a source of artistic inspiration and a refuge from everyday urban life." The Narada artists featured here created this recording as a tribute to ecologically important natural areas, hoping that future generations will continue to enjoy them. Highlights of the repertoire include "Fragile Majesty" by Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel, a piece that evokes the grandeur of natural landscapes; the epic and dreamlike "Yosemite" by David Arkenstone; the timeless melody of "Sahara Sunrise" by Ralf Illenberger; and the ambient, Latin-influenced "Break of Day" by Bernardo Rubaja. Among the rest there are everything from haunting canvases that oscillate between atmospheric music, to the fusion of a wide variety of styles, mixing jazz sounds and the most traditional elements under excellent elegance and the good taste of a simply magical music.

George Winston-Autumn (1980)

New age musicians tend to avoid the charts and media attention; their music is generally designed for a small audience seeking profound, minimalist listening experiences. However, some artists have transcended this barrier, achieving worldwide success. Andreas Vollenweider, Nightnoise, David Arkenstone, Michael Hedges, and George Winston, the musician we're discussing today, are prime examples. Winston's formula is simple: his exceptional piano talent and deep emotional sensitivity. His career began in the early 1970s with the release of his debut album, "Piano Solos" (1972), which went largely unnoticed. Years later, a demo tape of his ended up in the hands of William Ackerman, who had founded Windham Hill, a label specializing in new music. Ackerman produced George Winston's second album, "Autumn", which quickly became one of the most successful new age albums of all time. "Autumn" is composed of a repertoire that evokes in the listener moods very close to autumnal melancholy, making it, in a way, a kind of therapeutic album. Two years later, George Winston released "Winter Into Spring" and "December", which completed an excellent trilogy of new age music, and like "Autumn", became resounding worldwide hits and two essential references of this musical genre.