LOREENA MCKENNITT’S A MEDITERRANEAN ODYSSEY (LIMITED EDITION) OUT NOW ON QUINLAN ROAD

TWO DISC COLLECTION COMBINES NEW LIVE RECORDINGS WITH PREVIOUSLY RELEASED STUDIO MATERIAL

“A reverent, resonant blend of Celtic-rooted ballads and exotics.”—The New York Times

“McKennitt skillfully weaves different strains of musical tradition into a tapestry that underscores her plea for diversity and acceptance.”—The Boston Globe

Loreena McKennitt’s A Mediterranean Odyssey is out now on Quinlan Road. Blogcritics calls it “a spectacular collection that serves to illustrate the scope of her back catalog while shining a bright light on the current state of her career.” This limited edition 2-disc set commemorates McKennitt’s 2009 Mediterranean tour and combines newly recorded live performances of audience favorites with a collection of previously released studio recordings, all inspired by the tones, textures and rich cultural heritage of the Mediterranean.

McKennitt’s 2009 Mediterranean tour brought her and her accomplished musicians to open-air theaters and ancient monuments in Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Hungary and Italy. McKennitt says, “it was a great pleasure to share our music in so many magnificent historic locations in parts of the world which have long fascinated me—especially since the last studio recordings have been inspired by tracing the history of the Celts in this region.”

This luxuriously designed collection is comprised of 2 discs. The first disc From Istanbul to Athens features 56 minutes of concert highlights from this Mediterranean tour including several songs that have never before been recorded live. Additionally, this limited edition will include a 24-page booklet featuring lavish illustrations and photographs collected on tour.

The second disc The Olive and The Cedar consists of 11 conceptualized studio versions of many of the concert songs personally selected by McKennitt from her back catalog. This complimentary disc focuses on her musical travel writing approach to her studio recording process and her inspiration in relation to the history of the Celts around the Aegean, the Mediterranean, North Africa and the near East. This set is designed to explore, not only the historical underpinnings of her musical muse, but to share the creative differences of the different recording and performing experiences.

With a recording career spanning over two decades and over 14 millions sales worldwide, Canadian singer/songwriter Loreena McKennitt has won worldwide acclaim and gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards in 15 countries across four continents. She has won numerous awards including the Billboard International Achievement Award, two Juno Awards for Best Roots/Traditional Album and a Grammy nomination for her 2006 album An Ancient Muse. She has performed around the world, including for such dignitaries as HRH Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in honour of The Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002.

For more information, please contact Krista Williams or Carla Sacks at Sacks & Co., 212.741.1000, krista@sacksco.com or carla@sacksco.com.