Breathe is Chuck Brown’s second collection of piano pieces, and this one contains songs with and without guitar, cello, and bass accompaniment. The arrangements are simple and straightforward, and their heartfelt sincerity makes up for a lack of complexity. Brown calls himself a songwriter who loves the piano and uses the instrument to express himself and bring some of his musical ideas to life. With those thoughts in mind, the gentle, unassuming melodies have a real charm. Most of the seventeen songs are shorter than three minutes in duration, making many of them musical sketches rather than detailed portraits or landscapes. I love looking at artists’ sketchbooks because of the freshness and immediacy - some of that comes through on “Breathe” as well. My favorite track is “Letter to Molly”, which is actually almost five minutes long and is more developed. This seems to be a very personal letter that comes from the heart - bittersweet and reflective. I also really like “Remind Me to Breathe” - contemplative and a little sad. The cello in this song is wonderful! “Lights Across the Water” is much more abstract - almost a watercolor sketch - quite different from the other pieces, but a welcome addition, showing us another side of the composer. “Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid” (great titles, eh?) is again kind of bittersweet and reflective - and very beautiful. “She’s Grown Up Sad” is a duet for piano and guitar with bass accompaniment - kind of wistful and melancholy. If you like easily-accessible piano music with a good-natured feeling and lots of heart, I think you’ll really enjoy Breathe. It is available from amazon.com and cdbaby.com as well as from www.chuckbrown.com.