From the charming cover art by Romero Britto to the sometimes hilarious liner notes (and all the music in between!), Revelry is a delight. Often more upbeat and joyful than Elkinson’s 1996 debut album, “Midnight Conversation”, Revelry introduces us to a maturing artist who has done a lot of growing in the past four years.This is a truly exceptional solo piano album, and one of my ten favorites for the year 2000.

Don’t get me wrong - not all of the tracks on this albums are lively and fun. There is a variety of moods and feelings expressed, and several of those are on the reflective and introspective side. Elkinson included Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” - a quiet and lovely interpretation - along with eleven original pieces. The opening track, “Sunshower”, is warm and sparkling, and just a little wistful. “Zymic” is a bit more subdued and classical in structure. My favorite piece is the title track. “Revelry” is also classical in structure, and has an infectious rhythm that propels the song at an energetic (but not frantic) pace. The opening strains of each stanza of “Solutions” seem to be full of questions which are resolved as the piece progresses. I also especially like “Lakeside Melody”, a simple, gentle, and uplifting bit of springtime. “Windward” swirls and twirls and gives the feeling of being swept away in a very pleasant experience - perhaps hang-gliding over a wide-open space somewhere? “Regrets” brings us back within - an intensely personal piece that gives me the vision of Elkinson at his piano late at night, letting his emotions release themselves through his fingers. “Post Nubila Phoebus” is darker than most of the rest of the album, and closes this most impressive CD on a more pensive side. Top-notch is all respects, this is a great album! And yes, there is a bonus track tucked at the very end of the CD. Be patient - it’s there!

Revelry is available on amazon.com and cdnow.com as well as www.kenelkinson.com