Sounds of Monterey Bay is a collection of ten piano solos by Richard Carr, an artist I became familiar with in the later 1990s and met a couple of times in the early 2000s. A full-time musician in The French Quarter of New Orleans for ten years, Richard moved to the Monterey Bay Area a little more than eight years ago. This album is a tribute to that beautiful area and some of its many features. Quoting Richard:

"Monterey Bay is a picturesque paradise on the coast of Central California. People who live here and visitors who come from all over the world feel blessed with the sense of adventure and romance that is in the air. It is and has been the muse and home of many famous writers and artists. This album is my interpretation of sights and sounds Monterey Bay. This is your invitation to bring a piece of Monterey Bay into your home."

Richard has released a varied body of work and is known for improvising his music in the recording studio as well as in concerts. Album titles have included An American Quixote (1999), American Reflection (2001), Matters of Balance (2016) and several Christmas albums. Sounds of Monterey Bay was recorded and mastered by Stu Heydon at Carmel Recording Studio in Carmel, CA.

The album begins with "Early Morning Beach Walk," a piece that moves at a relaxed, leisurely pace - sometimes sparkling, sometimes kind of foggy, and sometimes very dreamy. A beach walk is a wonderful way to start a day, and this is a really nice start to the album! "Moonrise Over Monterey Bay" is even more magical and Richard makes very effective of the damper pedal to create a shimmering effect similar to moonlight reflected in a body of water. "Whales & Dolphins" is quite a sea-faring adventure that is sometimes very bright and lively in the upper octaves of the piano and sometimes much darker, played deep in the bass. "Asilomar Dreams" returns to a very relaxed, soothing style and refers to a beautiful part of the Monterey Peninsula. "Pebble Beach" begins very slowly with a sense of mystery. If you've ever walked the beach in "pea soup" fog, sounds seem to echo and objects lose their shape and form. It's a very strange feeling, and that's what this piece reminds me of. "Butterflies of Pacific Grove" is much lighter and more fanciful, expressing the freedom and beauty of those creatures. "Monterey Aquarium" is one of the most magical places I've ever visited (I've been there a few times, but it's been awhile!). Richard's piece expresses the wonder and fascination of the huge tanks and displays that look right into the Bay environment, revealing a massive number of aquatic creatures and plants. I remember being mesmerized by the slow graceful movement of the jellyfish, and the music of this piece takes me right back there. The album closes with "Cannery Row," an area made famous by the novel by John Steinbeck. The piece begins slowly and quietly, perhaps at daybreak. The tempo gradually picks up as the music intensifies to convey the spirit of a busy, bustling place.

Sounds of Monterey Bay is currently available from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes, YouTube, Spotify and Soundcloud.