10 Great Music Albums for Winter Evenings

When it’s cold and dark outside, that’s the perfect time to get a nice fire going in the fire place, to enjoy your favorite beverage and to listen to some great music. Unwind from a stress-full day and chill. But not because of the temperatures. 😉

After my article on how I re-learned to enjoy music with my own personal music ritual, I’ve received a few e-mails asking me about the music I listen to and if I could recommend some special winter music albums.

In the eastern part of Austria, where I live, there’s currently no snow to be seen and the temperatures are unusually mild. Nevertheless, I want to present you 10 albums that I like to listen to on winter evenings – mild or cold. They are predominantly acoustic, very atmospheric recordings with sparse instrumentation and a somewhat melancholy feel to them.

1) Sting – If on a Winter’s Night

Initially, Sting was approached to record a Christmas album by his record company. Like we need another one, right? *rolling my eyes* He decided to broaden the topic and record a winter-themed album instead.

One of the best tracks is The Snow it Melts the Soonest – an old folk song from the region where Sting grew up. Here’s a magical live performance – as a guitarist you just have to be inspired by the immaculate performance Dominic Miller delivers.

2) Dominic Miller – First Touch

When he’s not on tour with Sting, Dominic Miller also records and releases various excellent solo recordings under his name. I especially like First Touch. It’s chock-full of tasty guitar playing without unnecessary flashy guitar stunts.

3) Jan Garbarek – Twelve Moons

Twelve Moons by Jan Garbarek is an atmospheric gem. It has a northern, Scandinavian kind of vibe to it, which makes it fit perfectly for winter evenings.

4) Eva Cassidy – Songbird

Eva Cassidy’s awesome voice accompanied by acoustic guitar just warms your heart. A real shame that she died of cancer in 1996 at the early age of 33.

5) Paul Winter & Oscar Castro-Nueves – Brazilian Days

Speaking of warming your heart – I just love Brazilian music. It’s such a neat mix of sophisticated harmonies, interesting rhythms and great melodies. I find it especially intriguing that the same music can warm you from the inside out due to associations to Rio and the Copacabana. And in summer the gentle, swaying rhythms of a Bossa Nova manage to keep you cool.

Brazilian Days has a light, pop-tinged feel to it and is very enjoyable to listen to.

6) Morelenbaum2/Sakamoto – Casa

Time-less songs played by great musicians paying their tribute to Antonia Carlos Jobim with every note they play.

7) Chopin – Nocturnes

It doesn’t get any more melancholy (but with still a glimpse of hope left) than with Chopin’s solo piano Nocturnes.

8) Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny – Beyond the Missoury Sky

I don’t know how often I’ve already listened to this album since it first came out in 1997. I just love Pat’s playing and together with Charlie Haden he creates an intimate, acoustic sound – a very personal record of growing (up).

9) Milos Karadaglic – Mediterraneo

One of my recent discoveries. The guy has classical chops to die for and plays with passion and musicality.

10) Sade – The Best of Sade

Strange, but I didn’t like Sade back in the 80s. I guess the music was too simple for me back then. Today I can appreciate that kind of well-produced Pop. Somewhat minimalistic, yet still with depth to it.

Get the Recommended Winter Music Albums

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