Waters Edge is Matt Bachrach’s second release, and is completely solo piano this time. I like this one better than his debut, “Nine.” A strong and powerful player, Bachrach is an artist to watch. Of the ten selections, eight are original and two are adaptations - Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” and “Heart and Soul.” I know most people love the Canon, but it’s been arranged and recorded to death. Of course, I also teach it a lot, so maybe I’m over-saturated; I just don’t find a lot of joy in a new version of this piece. If I hadn’t read that “The Hearts Soul” was inspired by “Heart and Soul,” I never would have recognized it as such. It is a very flowing piece with a lovely melody and mood - Bachrach made it very much his own. I hear a strong influence of Bruce Hornsby on the title track, which opens the CD, but this isn’t as evident on the other pieces. “The Calm” is as its title implies - very gentle and flowing. “As I Loved You” is a tender ballad that could easily be set to lyrics (although it doesn’t need them) - I really like this one! “Elizabeth” is quite a tour de force. It starts out quietly, and starts to build momentum almost immediately. It gets darker and more turbulent as the tempo increases, peaking with a series of glissandos and a pounding beat. Then it returns to the quieter opening theme and builds again to the fiery burst of glissandos - a very interesting piece! “Transition” is a bit more abstract and ambient; it is dark and moody, but not nearly as turbulent as “Elizabeth.” “Reflections” and “Reflections Part II” seem a bit more improvised, and are also strong and interesting pieces. Matt Bachrach is off to an impressive start, and I look forward to seeing and hearing what’s next. His music is available from bachrachproductions.com.