Peace, Be Still is a collection of ten favorite hymns arranged for solo piano by Brad Jacobsen, one of my favorite pianist/composers since I reviewed his first album, Road Home, back in 2011. A few of the pieces on this album have been released as singles and there was an EP with three tracks, but the album is such a breath of fresh air and flows so beautifully that even if you have the previous releases, the album is a warm and soothing entity unto itself.

Brad explains his intent and approach to this album:

“It's been 10 years almost to the day since I released Pastorale, my first solo piano hymns album. While I'm in a different place spiritually/religiously than I was in 2016, I still feel the same way about hymns. I think I will always have a deep emotional/nostalgic connection to the melodies of many of the hymns. Late 2024 to early 2025, I started sitting at the piano with the express purpose of finding or creating peace for myself. Current events, social media, all of that was becoming so combative and negative (though I understand why). I've never been one who can take anger, frustration, or depression to the piano and turn that into music, because as soon as I sit down and start playing, that part of me that is longing for simplicity and peace is what takes over. And this time I found solace in the beautiful and timeless melodies of hymns. I wasn't consciously thinking about the lyrics, just connecting with the music I remembered so fondly. I think it reminded me of simpler, and kinder times! Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, when you look at the titles of the hymns, the words ‘Peace,’ ‘Still,’ and ‘Soul’ appear several times. Obviously that is what my soul knew I was looking for….That being said, we all need peaceful music sometimes. We can listen to protest anthems all day long, but eventually we're going to need to take a breather. And that's what I hope this album is -- a breath of fresh air and a reminder of kinder, simpler and more peaceful times.”

The eleven hymns included on the album (one is a medley), are an assortment of very well-known and popular hymns (“Morning Has Broken,” “It Is Well With My Soul,” “Simple Gifts,” “Be Still, My Soul,” “All Creatures of Our God and King”) and some that aren’t as familiar (“Peace Like a River,” “Peace, Be Still, (Master, the Tempest is Raging),” “How Great the Wisdom and the Love”). As he has always done, Brad lets the melodies sing out in close to their original form, subtly updating the accompaniments and adding expressive touches that make the songs deeply personal and yet easily relatable. Even without any lyrics, the meaning of each piece is clear and comforting whether or not you know the words. Intended and designed to bring peace and comfort to listeners, I think Brad Jacobsen has done a truly outstanding job with this album! And I’m very happy to mention that that there is a songbook with all of the arrangements from the album (printed and digital) as well the sheet music for individual pieces available from Brad’s website. I give both the recording and sheet music a very enthusiastic both thumbs up!

Peace, Be Still is available to stream and download from Amazon and AppleMusic/iTunes as well as on many streaming platforms including Spotify and Pandora; it is also available on CD and to download on Brad’s website - a wonderful and very refreshing listening experience!