Well folks, I may have already found my favorite CD of the year!
Whisperings Solo Piano Volume 1, a compilation of sixteen original piano solos by sixteen Whisperings Artists, is nothing short of stellar! The brainchild of pianist/composer David Nevue, Whisperings has become the #1 solo piano internet radio station, and has grown from a small handful of artists to more than two hundred pianists from all over the world. All of the tracks were recorded at Joe Bongiorno’s Piano Haven Recording Studio near Seattle, WA, on Joe’s impeccable Kawai RX-7 acoustic grand, giving a warm, consistent sound throughout the album despite the variety of artists and pianistic touches. There are no “big” or splashy pieces on this album, but there is a wonderful variety of moods and emotional expressions - from “Angel of Bliss” to “Lament,” from “Awaken the Dawn” to “A Sunset’s Promise.” All of the pieces are of such a high quality that none overshadows the rest - it’s an amazing and seamless musical journey from the first note to the last. Because of that, I don’t really want to pull out a few examples. Instead, I’ll list the artists and their pieces with the assurance that this is one extremely high quality piano album and a must for all lovers of contemporary solo piano. I give it my very highest recommendation!
1. "Natalie's Song" by Wayne Gratz
2. "Eden Again" by David Nevue
3. "Lover's Tarot" by David Lanz
4. "Tears of Joy" by Joe Bongiorno
5. "Seattle Morning" by Louis Landon
6. "A Silent Tear" by Joe Yamada
7. "Why?" by Steven Cravis
8. "Lament" by Scott D. Davis
9. "A Sunset's Promise" by Christine Brown
10. "Awaken the Dawn" by Stanton Lanier
11. "Water of Life" by Neil Patton
12. "Angel of Bliss" by Christopher Boscole
13. "October Wind" by Rebecca Oswald
14. "Irish Rain" by Michele McLaughlin
15. "Present Moment" by Joseph Akins
16."Prayer for the Planet" by Greg Maroney
Whisperings Solo Piano Volume 1 is available from
solopianoradio.com, Amazon, and iTunes. Samples are also available on many of the participating artists’ websites.
