The London Sessions - New Perspectives From Studio 2 is the fourth independently-produced album by pianist/composer Ed Bazel and is a beautiful follow-up to his 2022 The London Sessions: Reflections from Studio 2. Both albums were recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios, an experience that must be almost overwhelming! Quoting Ed: “Walking down those stairs to Studio 2, I thought of the many greats who have walked before me: The Beatles. Pink Floyd. Adele. Ed Sheeran. Breathing in the vibrations of this huge studio. Seeing the grand piano set up for me in the back left corner of the studio, in the exact footprint where the Beatles set up for their recordings…it was profound.” The album consists of nine original instrumental pieces and original arrangements of The Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road" and "Imagine." Some of the tracks are solo piano and some are piano with cello (Austin Hoke),and/or violin (Laura Epling).

Again quoting Ed Bazel, this time from the liner notes of the album: "With every note played on The London Sessions 2: New Perspectives from Studio 2, I pour my soul into the keys, and with each composition, I strive to express the rawest of human emotions. In essence, this is my love letter to music, a testament to the power of the piano and an homage to the enduring magic of Studio 2 at Abbey Road."

The album opens with "Daybreak," a piece that is as peaceful and delicate as its title implies. Full of hope and optimism for a new day and a fresh start, it's a wonderful beginning! "Onward" expresses feelings of determination and moving forward - a beautiful piano solo. "All Of My Life" takes a more reflective and introspective turn. The strings stay in the background for most of the piece, but definitely add to the poignance of the music. "The Long and Winding Road" is the first of the two Beatles' songs and Ed's arrangement for piano, cello and violin is honest, sincere and deeply-felt. The solo piano "A Joyful Life" could be giddy and carefree, but Ed's piece is more of a look back on (and forward to) a life well-lived. A peaceful kind of contentment runs throughout the piece, communicating openly with the listener. "Happy Go Lightly" looks back with a smile at memories of many of the things that make life worthwhile and meaningful. My favorite track on the album is the solo piano "A Rainy Day." Deeply emotional and soulful, I love the unexpected bluesy chord changes here and there as well as the heartfelt expression throughout. Ed closes the album with his arrangement of The Beatles' classic, "Imagine." There have been so many great arrangements of this song - with and without the lyrics - and this one is right up there with the best of them. The piano carries the melody throughout, but the violin and cello make this wonderful song even more special.

Not surprisingly, The London Sessions - New Perspectives From Studio 2 is already winning awards and nominations for awards. It is available as a CD from Amazon, to download and stream from Apple Music/iTunes, and from many streaming platforms including Spotify. Highly recommended!