Rare Bird is Chris Sanders’ musical calling card. Known for her work with the New Mexico band The Hard Road Trio and as one of the writers of the musical We are Enron, this EP introduces Chris as interpreter of her own songs. (Three of her previous recordings have won New Mexico Music Awards.) She also offers a fresh arrangement of a favorite Beatle’s tune and a haunting version of a Thomas Wolfe poem from 1929. With her diverse background in choral music, art song, vocal jazz and acoustic string band music, Chris dances around the edges of several genres to arrive at the heart of a live acoustic sound that grooves and sparkles. And her voice? Simply beautiful. Nationally recognized mandolin player (and Chris’ frequent collaborator) Steve Smith contributes soaring performances on mando and octave mandolin. Also from The Hard Road Trio, Anne Luna creates the perfect foundation on the bass. Electric guitar from Bob Hull adds a rich dimension to the sound while cajon and bodhran spice up the mix. Thanks to acoustic sound wizard Steve Kaul at Wild Sound Studios in Minneapolis, the warmth of live strings and voices shines through. Meet one Rare Bird: Chris Sanders. And enjoy what only quality song writing and a great voice can deliver. Track overview: 1. Snow Geese (3:49) The “fly out” at dawn at the Bosque del Apache in New Mexico 2. Roll in the Night (4:15) Young love on a west Texas highway 3. A Stone, a Leaf (4:07) A setting of the stark and elegant poem that prefaces Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward Angel 4. Don’t Put Down Your Guitar (3:52) An Irish-flavored sermonette 5. When I Speak French (4:23) A love song “en Francais” (for the most part) 6. Nowhere Man (3:36) A 6/8 take on a Beatle’s classic 7. C Minor Street (3:26) A musical vandal creatively defaced our street sign: Camino Real became C minoR. 8. Blue Heron (3:25) Piano and electric guitar paint a blue seaside portrait