Lumen is the second of British pianist/composer Bill Laurance’s many albums that I’ve reviewed, and I have been beyond impressed with both (the first was his 2024 release, Bloom, with The Untold Orchestra). Bill has won many awards for his music, including five Grammy Awards for his work as a founding member of the jazz/funk group Snarky Puppy. Bill attended the University of Leeds, majoring in classical composition while exploring jazz, funk and drum’n’bass along with his classical music studies. That diversity gives his music a unique sound that reflects his experience with many different styles of music.

The making of Lumen has a very interesting story of its own. The album was recorded at St. Faith’s Church in Dulwich, London over a two-day/night period. Quoting Bill Laurance:

“It’s not often you find yourself recording alone in a church at 3am. I’m not religious, but I experienced something unique while playing through the night as the streets around me slept. It felt like the music was telling me what to play and I was the passenger."

Bill recorded the ten tracks on a Yamaha grand piano and a Yamaha upright felted piano. Some of the pieces have a strong improvisational component while others were composed with more clearly-defined structures. Again quoting Bill:

“I couldn’t have exposed more of who I am than I did with this music. I used to be surrounded by a load of synthesizers, drum machines, all kinds of things, even when I was playing solo. But as an artist, I now feel ready to leave all that behind me, the idea here is to be more organic, pure, direct.”

Lumen begins with “Fils D’Or,” a slow, relaxed and expressive piece that feels very fresh and spontaneous. It also clearly demonstrates that we are listening to a master at the piano - a very strong beginning! The title track has a quick repeating pattern that runs throughout the piece while a simpler melody is played over the top of it. The piece becomes darker and more intense near the end, and then fades out - beautiful as well as powerful! “Mantra” moves over to the felted piano. I could be wrong here, but it sounds like only the bass half of the piano is felted, which gives a very interesting effect with the treble notes brighter and crisper while the lower notes are more subdued. The piece begins and ends very simply and minimally, building gradually and becoming much livelier in the middle to near the end. “What You Always Wanted” has an elegant yet mysterious flowing quality that is both soothing and very beautiful - a favorite! “Dove” returns to the felted piano with an upbeat yet relaxed jazz piece that makes me smile. The darkly intense “Lovers Leap” moves rapidly around the piano keyboard as it tells its story, ending with quiet drama. “Opal” also sounds like the bass end of the piano is felted while the treble half isn’t - a fascinating effect - or maybe Bill is playing both pianos at the same time. The left hand keeps a steady bass pattern going while the right hand freely roams the piano keyboard telling its story. Lumen comes to a close with “Even After All,” a quiet and soulful meditation that seems to flow from the heart while expressing a peaceful and mindful spirit. It’s a great close to a great album!

Lumen will be released on September 26, 2025. It is available to pre-order on Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes. More links will be added on the release date. Very highly recommended!