I've heard a lot of great arrangements of John Lennon's classic song, "Imagine," but John Paris' solo piano arrangement is one of the best. The beauty of a song that is as well-known as this one is that most people know the lyrics and understand the song with or without the words. I suspect that even those who don't know the words will intuitively understand the meaning of the song from Paris' very sensitive and heartfelt expression. On the surface, his arrangement is simple and straight-forward, but he uses some complex jazz chords and voicings that make this version uniquely his own. Quiet, dreamy and very pensive, the piece begins with a one-minute introductory prelude that sets the peaceful mood of the song. There is also a gentle and very beautiful improvisation between verses of the song. It's a wonderful arrangement and I give it both thumbs up!

"Imagine" is available from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes and streaming sites including Spotify.