Ordinary Moments is Ola Gjeilo’s third solo piano album on the Decca Classics label and his fifth solo piano album since his debut, Stone Rose, in 2007. I named that album as one of my “Top 40 for the Decade (2000-2009),” and have loved all of Ola’s releases since then. Born near Oslo, Norway, Ola started studying jazz, classical piano, and composition at the age of seven. He did his undergraduate studies at the Norwegian Academy of Music, transferred to Juilliard In New York and then to the Royal College of Music in London, where he received his bachelor’s degree in composition. Gjeilo then returned to Juilliard and earned his master’s degree in 2006, also in composition. 

Quoting the artist: “ORDINARY MOMENTS is my new solo piano album, a collection of pieces designed to soundtrack and elevate life’s everyday moments.”

Overall, the twelve tracks on Ordinary Moments are quiet and peaceful, and it sounds as though the piano is felted on at least some of them (felting is when soft cloth is placed between the piano’s hammers and strings to soften the impact of the hammers hitting the strings). Ola doesn’t rely on a lot of speed and fancy finger-work on the piano to get his point across, making the open spaces between the notes an important part of the music. That openness makes the music well-suited for warm and soothing background music, but do yourself a favor and listen to the soulful beauty of each note while letting your mind be soothed and your spirit uplifted.

Ordinary Moments begins with “red letter days,” a gentle waltz that expresses a quiet peacefulness and yet also feels joyful and excited - a beautiful start! “hurt” seems to be asking “why?” as it explains what it is feeling. “a walk by the sea” is something I can really relate to, living on the Oregon Coast, and have often experienced the peaceful calm that a walk on the beach can bring. This piece expresses that calm beautifully. “nostalgia” has a very spare melody while the other hand keeps a steady rhythm that feels like the passage of time (to me). Quiet and thoughtful, much of the melody is in the bass clef and then trails off at the end. “the dreamer” is a favorite with its gentle rhythm and slightly mysterious melody. “4am feeling” is restless and in motion until near the end, when it relaxes and, apparently, is able to go back to sleep. “the eternal sky” feels vast and filled with wonder - also a favorite. “through a rainy window” picks up the tempo with a beautiful flowing quality that’s tinged with melancholy - I really like this one, too! Somewhat mysterious, “chapter one” tells its own vivid story without the use of words. “monday morning” picks up the tempo again, expressing the frantic energy that can be part of the start of a new work week! “the stillness we share” returns to a quiet sense of calm and well-being. This excellent album comes to a close with “in silence,” an almost prayer-like sense of reflection and peace - the perfect ending to another amazing album from Ola Gjeilo.

Ordinary Moments is available to stream and download on Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes as well as on many streaming platforms including Spotify and Pandora. Very highly recommended!