The Stillness Between is pianist/multi-instrumentalist/composer Peter Calandra’s first full-length album in two years, although he has released lots of singles during that time. Peter has been one of my favorite artists since I started reviewing his music in 2013 and, like most of his releases, the nine pieces on this album are difficult to place into one genre - something I have always really appreciated about Peter’s music! He consistently creates deeply expressive “stories in sound” with influences that include jazz, new age, pop, ambient, classical and more. In addition to composing and playing the music on this album, Peter did the mixing and production, too. He plays piano, keyboards, acoustic guitars, and digital sequencing, and is joined on a few of the tracks by Kathleen Nester (flute), Kathy Halvorson (oboe), Ralph Farris (violin, viola), and Peter Prosser (cello). More orchestrated than some of his other albums, this music indicates Peter’s very extensive history creating music for films and television as well as sports and stage productions, taking us on an always-fascinating expedition in sound. Six of the nine tracks have been released as singles, but the full album offers a more varied and richly satisfying listening experience.

The Stillness Between begins with “Cathedral In The Clouds.” Several themes are explored that range from somewhat mysterious to bright and lively to very spare and rather dark to a feeling of moving forward - fascinating and exceptionally well-done! “Drift in Blue” begins with a floating ambient intro before the percussion, bass, piano and keyboards enter with a smooth, easy melody and a catchy beat, moving to a more ambient style, then becoming rhythmic and melodic to the end. Peter originally composed “Circle of Lights” during the summer of 1990. He used a sequenced demo recording to transcribe and rework parts of the piece, giving it a new life. Several of the musicians mentioned above joined Peter on this track. On “Moonlight Passage,” ambient, new age and jazz elements combine to create a peaceful, relaxing mood. Peter Prosser’s soulful cello blends gracefully with Calandra’s guitar and piano, creating an overall feeling that is calm and serene. “The Stillness Between” features all four of the musicians mentioned above and is incredibly peaceful and soothing. The shimmering strings make me think of moonlight on snow or light dancing on the surface of a body of water. “Caritas” was not released as a single and its title is a Latin word meaning "charity," "love," or “compassion." Beautifully cinematic and very expressive, the music travels from the heart of the composer to the hearts of his listeners. “Where the Soft Winds Hold You” would be a wonderful soundtrack for a sunny breeze rippling through a meadow or graceful swans gliding on a pond - blissful! The last two tracks on the album haven’t been released as singles. “A Quiet Prayer” is quite different from the other tracks. The ambient first section is electronic with hints of piano near the end of the passage. In the next section, the piano is more prominent and it could be an improvisation with floating keyboard sounds supporting it. The final passage returns to all-electronic. Darkly mysterious and yet quite peaceful, it’s a fascinating piece! The last track on the album, “The Unspoken Path,” is very ambient and orchestrated (electronic). With a playing time of just under ten minutes, the piece evolves smoothly and seamlessly while creating an atmosphere of peace and relaxation. Actually, I’ve fallen asleep while listening to this one a few times - it’s very soothing!

Peter Calandra has created another amazing album! The Stillness Between will be released on June 26, 2026 and is available to pre-save on Apple Music/iTunes. It will be available to stream and download from Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes as well as on many streaming platforms including Spotify and Pandora. More links will be added on the release date. Very highly recommended!