Icarus is the fourth album by American musical group
Paul Winter Consort. It was recorded in 1971 for the
Epic Records label and released in 1972.[3] It was re-released by Epic in 1978 and by
Living Music in 1984.[4] The album was produced by
George Martin.
Reviewing for Creem in 1973,
Robert Christgau called Icarus a "kind of a classical/jazz mix but with none of the stiffness that suggests—inquisitive, contemplative, eclectic, peaceful. And eloquent, much more eloquent than my description, which does more for the music than the lyrics that obstruct a couple of cuts."[6]Michael Tearson from Audio later said the music can be called "
chamber jazz".[7] In a retrospective review,
AllMusic's William Ruhlmann gave Icarus three-and-a-half out of five stars and said "Winter's finest album marks a transitional point in his career from jazz to his own brand of
contemporary instrumental. But one can simply revel in the lovely melodies, the contemplative sounds, and the tasteful production of George Martin, especially on the justly famous title track by Ralph Towner."[8]
