Heart Strings is the elegant follow-up to Steven C.’s 2007 release, Signature. This time Steven traveled to the legendary Abbey Road Studios in England to record with the London Symphony Strings conducted by Grammy Award winning Arnie Roth. The fifteen original compositions for piano and strings are warm, unabashedly romantic, and often have a visual and cinematic sweep. As with Signature, beautiful melodies are what drive the music, creating an atmosphere of peace and well-being. There can be a fine line between this type of music and ear-candy, but Steven always maintains heartfelt emotion and substance in all of the music while keeping it fresh and accessible. Heart Strings would be a very classy backdrop for a dinner or social gathering, but it also invites close listening to hear all of the nuances in the music and the lovely piano performance.

Heart Strings opens with “My Angel,” a love song that overflows with innocence and tenderness. “HeartStrings in F#” would be a wonderful romantic theme for a film. Graceful with just a hint of bittersweetness, the simplicity of the melody conveys so much. “Heaven Bound” is a favorite. Much darker than most of the rest of the album, the mood is somber but passionate. Piano and cello together convey such powerful emotions! “First Light” is much more carefree and optimistic, with the promise of new beginnings. “Grace” is almost prayerful with its profound honesty and depth of feeling - another favorite. “Sundown” changes the mood a bit with its Latin rhythm and exotic flavor. From its title, I would expect “Too Many Hats” to be kind of frenetic and harried, but this piece seems to be quite cheerful and accepting of its lot - a lovely piece! I love “Mistress Music,” which again features piano and cello (as well as other strings). Graceful and passionate, it is a deeply-felt love song to a muse. “Opus Derian” was composed on the spot in a church while looking at a very small child’s coffin. Tragic yet very powerful, this piece has been featured on Oprah. This stirring collection closes on an “up” note with “Wedding Day White.” Joyful from start to finish, the piece includes phrases from Pachelbel’s “Canon in D.”

Steven C. has created another winner with Heart Strings. Contemporary with classical underpinnings, it is sure to bring a smile! It is available from stevencmusic.com, Amazon, CD Baby, and iTunes. Recommended!