Review of Tucson to Tir na nOg
Teri Woods' first CD features Irish traditional, contemporary, and original Celtic-Sonoran ballads and harmonies "woven like a multi-cultural tapestry when listened to from beginning to end. Tin whistle, Uilleann pipes, dobro, rainsticks, bouzouki, harp, fiddle and mythical bird calls twine and weave throughout, showcasing expressions of faith and reflection, love and nature...After listening to Teri's cd, I would have to agree that she has accomplished her original goal: a selection of "songs that have a calming effect, convey deep emotion, or reflect a relationship to nature and/or a higher power. I hope that the songs I sing will move listeners, facilitate relaxation, provide an opportunity to reflect, and provide a little respite in this busy world".
Elaine Higginbotham - The Castle Voice, WomanKraft
Review of Tucson to Tir na nOg
The CD is a mixture of new songs written by Teri, some popular classics, and a few traditional tunes and ballads from Ireland.
The arrangement for The Curragh of Kildare, unlike some earlier recordings of this song, is slow-paced and sensitive, revealing the deeper meanings of the lyrics. Teri's crystal-clear voice is showcased in a number of well-known Irish ballads -- Come By The Hills, The Cliffs of Dooneen, and Ned Of The Hill. For Ireland, I'll Not Tell Her Name is sung in tight three-part harmoney without accompaniment. You will rarely hear anything as beautiful. The Earth Is So Dry composed by Teri, is dedicated to those who lost their homes and livelihoods in the Catalina Mountains fires during the summer of 2003. The lyrics sing of the parched earth longing for the coming of the rain. This concept is cleverly wrapped around a gentle love song -- the beloved longs for the return of her lover from his "journey afar." But soon the rain comes and soothes the dry land, the two lovers are reunited, and all is right with the world again. But the falling rain takes on a darker meaning in Wall Of Tears, a sad forlorn song about a broken relationship that brings out a sorrowful and almost vulnerable quality in Teri's voice that befits the painfully sad lyrics. The title song, Tucson to Tir na nOg is a worthy addition to the long line of Ireland's emigration songs that speak of the longing of the emigrants to return to their native homes. But this one perhaps is most special to those of us living in Tucson, because The Old Pueblo is now where we have made our new homes as we dream of old Erin and "the days gone by." Listen carefully to the final chorus on this track -- you might recognize the voices of some of your friends and neighbors! Teri's composition I am a Ramblin' Rover is a delightfully up-beat song that will make you get up and move.
The ever-popular Song For Ireland, first recorded by Mary Black, and by many other artists since then, is given a unique treatment on this CD. The track surprisingly starts out with pleasant dance music, but very quickly the mood of the music changes, becoming dark & misty like thick fog rolling in from the Atlantic Sea on the west coast of Ireland. Then from out of this mist, as it were, Teri's voice emerges, strong and clear, singing of the beauty of western Ireland. When the lyrics speak of "old pubs where fiddlers love to play" we are somehow transported back to an Irish pub scene, where we hear the clinking of glasses, and old friends heartily greeting each other with shouts of Slainte! while nearby we hear a fiddler playing lively reels. This is the closest thing imaginable to a music video -- without the pictures! Then when the track seems to be over, one more surprise awaits. But you will have to buy the CD to see what that is!
Muiris Foley - The Blarney Stone, Irish American Gaelic Society, Tucson, Arizona
Review of Where Heaven Meets Earth
"If I could describe her voice in one word it would be "pure". She sings like a virgin."
Kevin Schramm - Musician, The Mollys
Review of Where Heaven Meets Earth
The Old Pueblo's strong Celtic folk tradition shines through on the latest CD by Teri Woods. Where Heaven Meets Earth (Aisling West Music) is a mix of traditional tunes, original music and a few covers, including Richard Thompson's poignant love song, "Dimming of the Day". The production is restrained throughout, with Woods' beautiful and sure-footed vocals up front, and careful layers of guitars, keyboards, harp and percussion. Along with the instrumentation you'd expect to find on a Celtic album, there's additional support on some tracks from everything from a trombone to a fretless bass to a Theramin. Standout cuts include the a cappella "I'll Remember You, Love, In My Prayers", the cover of Hugh Prestwood's upbeat "Asking Us To Dance", and Woods' own moving ballad, "Just a Little Bit More". Available locally, or contact www.aislingwestmusic.com, P.O. Box 85212, Tucson, AZ 85754-5212.
Tucson Lifestyle (Nov, 2005)
Review of Where Heaven Meets Earth
When Teri Woods sits down to compose a new song the words often come from deep down in her soul. She draws inspiration from her own life experiences, adding deep and personal meanings to the lyrics. We saw some examples of this in her first CD, Tucson To Tir na nOg, and now we see it again in her 2nd CD, Where Heaven Meets Earth, released early this year.
This album is a collection of songs about love: love in all its forms, happy, sad, love lost, love found again, longing for love, new and old love, Divine love, romantic love. But a thread of deep spirituality weaves its careful way through this collection, without having even one song that might carry the label "spiritual".
Nowhere is this more evident than in the song "A Little Bit More" which perhaps goes far to define the essential mood and purpose of this album. Teri wrote this song days after the death of her friend Jacqueline in February '04. Jacqueline and her husband Marc had an enduring kind of love. They had a very personal expression of love between them which the song repeats in every chorus: "When I said, "I love you" you quickly replied, "I love you just a little bit more"". For his last Valentine's gift to Jacqueline in Feb. '04, Marc had these words with her picture on a billboard on a Tucson street, which caught the attention of local and national media. While naturally this is a sad song because of the early death of her friend, Teri finishes the song with up-lifting and comforting words: "She is gone, someone says, and I quickly reply, no, here she comes, now she truly can soar."
There are two songs on the CD sung a cappella in tight harmony, one of Teri's favorite things to do. The first of these is a beautiful rendition of "I'll Remember You Love In My Prayers", an ancient traditional Irish song. The second is "I'll Walk Beside You", a gentle song of true lasting love: "I'll walk beside you through the passing years, Through days of cloud and sunshine, joys and tears."
The traditional "Bheir Mi O" is sung in Gaelic and English, which some of us may remember from grade school singing class. But this arrangement is far removed from any we have previously heard. The music has a haunting, other-worldly quality to it, aided by mystical echo whisperings and the exquisite playing of Mary Bouley on the harp. Close your eyes and listen to this track often enough and you will surely find yourself being transported away to a different dimension!
There are thirteen songs on this CD, six of them original works by Teri Woods. It has been described as relaxing, easy-listening, a collection of lullabies. But if we use this album merely as background music we completely miss the point. One must carefully listen to the lyrics. There are deep meanings to be discovered and emotions to be awakened.
It was Shakespeare who wrote "If music be the food of love, play on." Perhaps this CD shows us exactly what he meant.
Muiris Foley - The Blarney Stone, Irish American Gaelic Society, Tucson, Arizona