Bradley Joseph’s One Deep Breath is a fascinating combination of structured melodic pieces and free-form, ambient compositions that invite the listener to “Pause, take one deep breath, and go beyond your daily life. Music to awaken your mind and spirit, and inspire you to dream.” The ten original pieces are played on piano and keyboard, with wordless vocals here and there. The influence of years of touring with Yanni is apparent in the richness of Joseph’s sound, but his musical voice is his own. The opening track, “Is This A Dream?” contains chanting voices and a haunting, “dreamy” melody line that floats in and out on piano - a very beautiful and effective piece! “Wildflowers” is a bit more traditional, and is also lovely. The wistful piano brings images of brightly-colored wildflowers gracefully bending in a gentle breeze. I really like “Dance of Life”, which is both joyful and pensive - almost anthemic in places. “Inside the Sky” is rhythmic and mysterious at the opening, and then becomes a much more ambient and free-form piano solo that floats among the clouds and mists of the sky until the rhythm re-enters, perhaps symbolizing gentle winds - definitely one of my favorite tracks! “If I Could Fly” is a happy little day-dream full of smiles and “what if’s”. One Deep Breath is breathtaking in its subtle beauty. It floats and meanders for more than ten minutes, bringing in ocean sounds that slide me into a dreamy stupor every time. I started listening to this CD in my CD alarm player in the mornings, and I could not stay awake all the way through this track! Under the circumstances, I think that’s a compliment to Joseph’s goal for his music to invite the listener to dream. Worked for me every time! In waking moments, this is one of the most soothing pieces of music around. The ocean almost instantly drains me of all stress, and the sounds of the surf within the music in this piece are wonderful. One Deep Breath is an exceptionally good CD - especially if you enjoy structure as well as experimentation on one recording. The combinations of styles work really well here, and I highly recommend this album. It is available from the major online retailers as well as from bradleyjoseph.com.