Timeless In You

Ephemerality and the endlessness of time are the central motives of Maria Christina's debut album The Timeless In You. She has set primarily her own thoughts on these themes to music, as well as texts from Khalil Gibran, E.E. Cummings and Frank O'Hara. In 2009 Maria Christina left home to study in New York with her mentor, Theo Bleckmann. Three years of intensive collaboration with the Grammy-nominated singer have culminated in this CD, on which Bleckmann also serves as co-producer. Maria Christina narrates from her life in the USA and Europe, a life between two continents, in which every parting carries the seed of a reunion. Joy and sorrow, beginnings and endings, light and shadow, togetherness and isolation - these opposites yearn for reconciliation; without one another they cannot exist. They are contrasts, not contradictions. The music, too, moves between worlds: Rooted in jazz and improvised music, the pieces reflect the influence of contemporary classical, rock and indie styles, occasionally employing loops and vocal layers. The recording ensemble consists of young denizens of the New York music scene who have achieved international renown in recent years: Steve Newcomb - piano (AUS), James Shipp - vibraphone (USA), Matt Davis - guitar (USA), Sam Anning - bass (AUS) and Richie Barshay - drums (USA). 'May My Heart Always Be Open' also features special guest Peter Eldridge, founding member of the New York Voices, in duet with Maria Christina.