Moment of Peace is Cory Reese’s debut album. Self-taught from the age of eighteen, he worked at learning to play the piano for five years and then recorded this CD. With those factors in mind, the CD is quite impressive. The pieces are warm and autobiographical, and Reese has a very sincere approach to his music. The whole album is very pleasant, just not something I can jump up and down about. At 23 (when this album was recorded), Reese has a lot of growth potential, and the original pieces on 2003’s “Silent Night” were quite an improvement. Reese is very good at working out sweet and expressive melodies, but his left hand tends to maintain safe and repetitive patterns that don’t vary much. My other main criticism is that too much of the album is in the upper and middle registers of the piano, making it a bit too “tinkly” for my ears. With themes like the anticipation of the birth of a first child, a deep love for a spouse, and the beauty of nature, the overall mood of the music is optimistic and very content. Even the title piece, which was Reese’s response to the feelings he had one of the last times he embraced his father before he passed away, there is hope shining through the melancholy. “Broken Sky” is my favorite track. Reese works with troubled teens, and one of those lives inspired this piece - reflective but hopeful. A very promising debut, I look forward to hearing Cory Reese’s music as his career grows. Moment of Peace is available from coryreese.com.