Steven Cravis’ second album is an excellent collection of thoughtful and peaceful piano solos. Many of the pieces are more classically structured than the music of other artists in the genre, and indicate a very well-trained and creative pianist-composer (he attended the prestigious Berklee School of Music). The music is peaceful, but is complex enough to allow the listener to hear something new after repeated hearings. The quiet tone of the CD makes it suitable for a lovely backdrop, but many of the songs deserve to be given ones full attention to hear and appreciate the beauty of this music.

The CD opens with “Through The Kaleidoscope”, a sparkling and swirling piece, full of musical colors. One of my favorite pieces on the CD is “Dancing Spirits”. It opens in the upper registers of the piano, and works its way down, gently building momentum on the way. The improvisation in the middle section suggests the freedom of a spontaneous dance. “The Shining Star” and “My Precious One” are beautiful and tender love songs. “Reunion” is a bit more impassioned and turbulent - the strength of the emotions comes through loud and clear, making it a very powerful piece. “Holiday Slumber” is a cozy and delicious depiction of those wonderful, lazy days when it feels so good to just keep snuggling under the covers and dozing back to sleep.

The Sound of Light is a very fine solo piano CD, and is currently available from www.mp3.com/stevencravis and cdbaby.com.