River of Remembrance is the second solo piano album from Tiana Andreas and is the follow-up to her 2008 debut, Butterfly in the Snow. Tiana was born in the US, but her heritage is Greek and she spent her teen years in Greece, making that culture a very big part of who she is. Six of the seventeen original pieces on the album have Greek lyrics. Tiana plans to record many of the songs with vocals next year as they were composed with the intention of being sung. The heartfelt emotion that is expressed in each piece emphasizes the beauty of the melodies and I find that to be far more important than flurries of notes or lightning-fast runs on the piano keyboard! It's a beautiful second album and well-worth the long wait between releases.

River of Remembrance begins with "And the Rain Fell," a piece Tiana composed after receiving devastating news - "rain fell not only from the skies that day." Fortunately, good news followed, and she ended this poignant piece with a "hopeful musical rainbow." "Mysterious Eyes" reflects on lost love and the powerful longing that can overwhelm us during the night. "Tenia's Song" was written for a dear friend as a musical tribute to her and her late husband's story - a very warm expression of love and devotion. The title track is a favorite and expresses a variety of emotions - as memories so often do - flowing from one thought or one feeling to the next. "The Toast" is an Irish song that Tiana has sung at memorials. Overflowing with love and memories, I really like this one, too. "Oscuridad" begins in the upper end of the piano keyboard and sounds a bit like a music box. After the intro, the piece becomes darker and much of the melody is in the bass. A variety of themes are woven together to create a passionate and dramatic love song. "La Busqueda (The Search)" is also a love song and overflows with deep feelings. This one has a Spanish or Latin influence and comes straight from the heart. "Indelible Moonlight" makes me think of a romantic waltz under the stars. "The Flower of Winter" was written as a tribute to Greece and all that the country has endured over the centuries. A small snippet of the lyrics translates as:

"When the endless night rolls on,
And sings the nightmare into
your ear,
When fear has closed
your heart,
That is when the flower of winter blooms,"

The emotions expressed in this beautiful song are breathtaking. "Your Mother's Hands" is a sweet and tender lullaby "written for that moment when your heart aches for the loss of your mother but you realize she is still living on in your own grandchildren, in the shape of their eyes, or their smile or some special little mannerism that you see once again." The album closes with "A Benediction of Flowers," a song about "the slow unravelling of love." Heartfelt and bittersweet, it's a gorgeous close to an excellent album.

River of Remembrance is available from Amazon and Apple/iTunes as well as streaming sites including Pandora and Spotify. Highly recommended!