Painting in the Dark is the debut album from RH Fox, a classically-trained pianist from the age of five who spent decades as a registered nurse and an award-winning nature photographer before starting to compose his own music. Fox attended piano workshops led by David Lanz and Kristin Amarie, who encouraged him to translate his visual experiences into music. Very impressed with the results, they then co-produced the album with him. Lanz plays keyboards on several tracks and Kristin Amarie’s soaring vocals appear on one. Adding to the amazing mix is the artistry of Grammy-award winning violinist Charlie Bisharat on several tracks. Not surprisingly, the resulting album earns a very major “WOW!!!” Nine of the ten tracks on the album are original compositions and one is a cover of The Beatles’ “Free As a Bird.” The album can be streamed and downloaded at the usual sites, but Bandcamp also offers a CD version that comes with a hardcover 22-page digibook that features Fox’s (aka Robert Hasenfratz) photography and details about each piece.

The album’s title was inspired in part by the photographic technique known as "painting with light.” The music reflects Fox’s belief that life itself is a process of discovery, experimentation, mistakes, and unexpected beauty, and that we shape our lives through continual revision, reflection, and growth.

Painting in the Dark begins with “Follow the Creek,” a metaphor for following pathways through life. It was inspired by an early-childhood experience exploring a nearby creek with a friend. With Fox on piano, Bisharat on violin and Lanz on keyboards, the music takes flight from the very start. Encouraged by David Lanz, “Reflections of Yesterday” was composed as a remembrance of Fox’s two dogs. Gently bittersweet and overflowing with love, it’s a favorite. Lanz adds some synth touches on this one, too. “The Mystic” was composed on a battery-powered keyboard while camping in the wilderness of Maine and features Kristin Amarie’s vocals, Bisharat’s violin and Nicos Demetriou on bouzouki. Light and very exotic, it’s a stand-out! The mournful “Passage of Time” is about the fragility of the environment on planet Earth. Piano, violin and keyboards send this one straight to the heart - also a favorite! The title track is bright and playful, sure to brighten anyone’s day! “Magic of the Moment” is mostly a duet for piano and guitar (Charalambos Charalambous) with keyboard touches by Lanz. Light, gentle and very soulful, I really like this one, too! “Free as a Bird” was composed by John Lennon, but he wasn’t able to finish it himself. After his death, the remaining Beatles completed and recorded the song. Arranged with David Lanz, this heartfelt track is a duet for piano and keyboard. The album comes to a close with “Seabirds’ Lament,” a piece that began with an upbeat major-key approach that Fox realized misrepresented the reality that seabirds and coastal birds are declining in numbers. He decided to convert the piece to a minor key, “setting the proper tone that reflects this global decline as a critical indicator of our planet’s health.” It’s a poignant close to an excellent album.

Painting in the Dark is available to stream and download on Amazon as well as on many streaming platforms including Spotify and Pandora. As I mentioned above, the CD version and booklet as well as the digital version are available from Bandcamp. Don’t miss it!