What makes Soft Winds by Dorothy Ashby notable?

This album is significant for its role in expanding the expectations of the harp in jazz music, showcasing Ashby's virtuosic style and compositional skills. 'Soft Winds' received critical acclaim, contributing to Ashby's recognition as a pioneering female jazz artist and influencing later generations of musicians seeking to blend traditional instruments with modern genres. Released in 1961, 'Soft Winds' was Dorothy Ashby's second album, following her debut 'Hip Harp' from 1959. By this point, Ashby had firmly established herself as a unique voice in the jazz scene, especially noted for her innovative use of the harp within jazz frameworks.

How many songs are on Soft Winds?

Soft Winds has 11 tracks, running approximately 32 minutes.

Soft Winds

Dorothy Ashby · 1961

32 min · 11 tracks · jazz

A lush blend of cool jazz harmonies and intricate harp melodies creates a serene sonic landscape.

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Top tracks — play these first

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Soft Winds — The title track encapsulates the album's essence with its gentle melody and sophisticated arrangement, highlighting Ashby's distinctive harp play.
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Wild as the Wind — This track features an engaging interplay between the harp and ensemble, demonstrating Ashby's ability to create dynamic dialogues within her compositions.
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Misty — Ashby's rendition of this classic showcases her emotive style and technical prowess, transforming a well-known standard into a personal statement.
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Laura — With its haunting melody, this track highlights Ashby’s expressive capabilities and her skillful blending of jazz elements with traditional themes.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

Instrumental

63 /100

Treeline

Higher than 74% of albums we've rated

The album showcases Ashby's unique harp compositions within a cohesive jazz framework, making it a notable entry in her discography.

What we noticed

The album features a consistent use of the harp as the lead instrument, with intricate melodies that weave through lush jazz harmonies.
Several tracks incorporate string arrangements that complement the harp, enhancing the overall texture without overshadowing it.

Composition 25% of the score: 7/10
Craft 20% of the score: 8/10
Durability 25% of the score: 6/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 7/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 8/10

Influence 4/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

1 Soft Winds 2:56
2 Wild as the Wind 4:21
3 The Man I Love 2:56
4 My Ship 3:40
5 Love Is Here to Stay 2:42
6 I’ve Never Been in Love Before 2:27
7 With Strings Attached 2:25
8 Laura 2:59
9 The Guns of Navarone 2:15
10 Misty 2:42
11 The Gypsy in My Soul 2:49

What to play next

Listen next

Dorothy Ashby

1962

Go back to

Hip Harp

1958

Full Dorothy Ashby discography Artists like Dorothy Ashby

cool jazz hard bop

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata