Phil Cook

'Appalachia Borealis'—a deeply poignant and personal set of 11 piano meditations, built with the emotional range of a full and open existence—is, at least so far, the culmination of Phil Cook’s career and life. Inspired by those windowsill improvisations, these compositions reflect not only the turmoil and sadness of a fraught time for Cook but also the hope, light, and joy of looking for the other side. You can sometimes still hear the birds whose tune and time helped to inspire so many of these songs; they seem to call out playfully during “Thrush Song” and extend their reciprocal greeting during (but what else?) “Dawn Birds.” Even when they’re not within earshot, their essence remains: that is, to rise and meet the day best you can, no matter how uncertain and strange the moment may seem.