Spotlight: Sunset Breeze by Lynn Yew Evers

Lynn Yew Evers started playing piano and performing as a child until officially beginning her musical career at age fifteen. Later earning a degree from the Trinity College of Music in London, she’s performed a variety of concerts in both her native country of Malaysia and in the U.S. where she currently resides. Entitled Sunset Breeze, Lynn’s fourth album is comprised of fourteen solo piano compositions – marking a slight musical departure from her previous album, Elysian, which showcased piano-centric ensemble music – with both projects having been produced by Will Ackerman.

Drawing its influences from inspirational, classical and contemporary styles of music, Sunset Breeze essentially lives up to its title as an overall laid-back listening experience punctuated by elegantly assertive peaks, as the composer seemingly takes us on a leisurely stroll through quiet countryside, sunny gardens and along moonlit shores.

“The Dancing Doll” introduces the album like a delicate overture with a noted classical flair that exudes a subtle sense of mystery. A lovely composition as well as my favorite of the lot, Lynn extends a soft touch to the keys, as I’m reminded of watching a graceful ballerina or feather floating in the wind.

Serenely simple throughout, most of the compositions are characterized by major-key melodies that range from sweetly hymn-like to sweepingly romantic with often strong classical embellishments, before ultimately concluding in much the same manner the album began with the contemplative closing piece, “Prelude in D Minor”.

A most appropriate album for the upcoming Summer season, Sunset Breeze is an optimistically heartfelt album chock-full of personal warmth and tender reflection. Fans of the similarly inspirational and romantic solo piano works of Danny Wright and Michael Dulin are especially encouraged to check out this enjoyable release! ~Candice Michelle

For more information, please visit the artist's website. This album is also available at Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play.

Top 25 Albums for April 2018

TM	LM	PK	Artist Name	Album Title
1	8	1	Nouveau Papillon	Enchantment Blooms
2	-	2	Michael Kollwitz	Serenity II
3	-	3	Joseph L Young	Every Moment
4	-	4	Nitish Kulkarni	Listen
5	4	4	Michael Whalen	Kiss The Quiet
6	5	5	Trine Opsahl	Add Colours To My Sunset Sky
7	10	7	Peter Kater ft. Peia Luzzi	She
8	-	8	Terry Lee Nichols & Rebekah Eden	We Have Only Come To Dream
9	-	9	Symphonex Orchestra	Music That Tells A Story
10	-	10	Pamela Whitman & Richard Kurtz	Ancient Vision
11	13	11	Johann Johannsson	The Mercy
12	14	12	Mari Samuelsen	Nordic Noir
13	16	13	Heidi Breyer	Moonlight In Empty Rooms
14	18	14	Brian Kelly	Tomorrow's Daydream
15	25	15	Oscar Pascasio	Sensaciones
16	-	16	Vicente Avella	Rising
17	-	17	Richard Dillon	Terra Incognito
18	-	18	Neil Patton	Solitaire
19	-	19	Mark Dunn	Melodic Voyage
20	-	20	Dan Kennedy	Mountains Made of Shadow, Anthems Made of Light
21	1	1	James Asher & Arthur Hall	Drum Distillery
22	2	2	Terry Oldfield & Soraya	Temple Moon
23	6	6	Valerie Romanoff	Healing Music, Volume 2
24	19	19	Michael Logozar	Starlight
25	20	20	Lynn Yew Evers	Sunset Breeze

Spotlight: Moonlight in Empty Rooms by Heidi Breyer

Music and imagery have long complimented and even depended upon one another, with both artistic expressions often enhancing the perception that one has upon the other. Titled Moonlight in Empty Rooms, the latest album by pianist-composer Heidi Breyer beautifully embodies this wonderful creative synergy. Inspired by the fine art of acclaimed painter Alexander Volkov, the album is comprised of twelve pristinely elegant and emotionally reflective compositions. Each piece is accompanied in the liner notes by one of Volkov’s gorgeous paintings, while Breyer is joined throughout by distinguished violinist Charlie Bisharat, who lends an additional classical element to the compositions. Both Breyer and Volkov wrote the album’s poetically beautiful liner notes, while the album itself was produced by Breyer, Will Ackerman and Tom Eaton, with Eaton having engineered, mixed and mastered the final recording. Also included is a DVD of music and paintings that can be further appreciated in tandem.

The opening piece, “Unfinished Conversation”, seemingly begins like an ending, or perhaps that of picking up at some point from where having left off. Wrapped in a sentimental poise, the lovely composition is tenderly carried along by the graceful pairing of piano and violin – each lingering note like a gentle brushstroke upon an aural canvas. The next couple of pieces, “Autumn Snowfall” and “Autumn in Bruges”, make for a lovely pair – both rendering sonically their respective paintings that are detailed in the liner notes. “Autumn Snowfall” – a composition centered upon the seasonal transition of Fall to Winter – conveys a more contemplative, solitary mood – while “Autumn in Bruges” comparatively relates a feeling of personal interaction and romantic companionship with its serenading semi-waltz motif.

The album’s title piece, “Moonlight in Empty Rooms”, is a pinnacle moment of compositional beauty and emotional expression. One of my favorites, I especially love the wistful touch of the violin which beautifully compliments the flowing dynamism of the piano, as the piece ebbs and flows with alternating currents of languor and liveliness. Transitioning into the Spring season, “Eastertide” aptly captures a sense of joyful peace as sparkling notes convey sunshine rays and blossoming fields. The following piece, “Rainy Day”, feels both contemplative and leisurely, with its languidly-paced piano and solemn procession of violin.

Another favorite composition is the second-to-last track, “Faith”, which is also the lengthiest at just over eight minutes. A song of searching and steadfastness, this distinctly classical-flavored piece is comprised of four variations that give it a metamorphosing and journey-like quality. Likewise showcasing some of Heidi’s most impressive piano work, cascading keys are brushed lightly by tender violin throughout – ultimately resulting in a memorably heartfelt and prepossessing composition.

Cozily intimate, romantic and even nostalgic at times, Moonlight in Empty Rooms is a calmly introspective album that feels connected to the home and its immediate surroundings of seemingly quaint towns and natural countryside. In addition to Heidi Breyer’s own compositional gifts and command of the piano, Charlie Bisharat’s enchanting performance on violin takes these lovely pieces to another level of appreciation – with the marriage of these two instruments proving all that was needed to make musical magic happen! ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available at Amazon, iTunes, CD Baby and Google Play.

Spotlight: Beautiful Song by Anne Trenning and Friends

Beautiful Song is the fifth album by instrumental pianist and composer Anne Trenning. Comprised of eleven piano ensemble pieces spanning approximately thirty-nine minutes, the album highlights a talented team of musicians along the way who variably contribute instruments such as violin, flute, accordion, cello, flugelhorn, saxophone, guitar, mandolin and percussion – with familiar artist names including Bill Leslie, Jeff Oster and Ciro Hurtado. Six of the compositions are originals written by Anne Trenning while the other five are renditions of classic tunes by artists such as Neil Young, Maurice Jarre and others.

The album opens on a welcoming bright note with the title piece, “Beautiful Song”, which features a sweetly melodic ensemble led by a duet of piano and violin. Perfectly capturing the radiant warmth of a noonday sun, romantic and classical elements are laced with Celtic overtones, as the lovely composition waltzingly graces along to a gentle sway.

My favorite song on the album is the Santana cover, “El Farol”, which possesses a Mediterranean-style elegance. This romantic piece immediately stands out with its pristine infusion of Spanish guitar and flowing piano, of which aptly conveys a low-key lounge feel – like that of experiencing a nocturnal breeze on the seashore. I’m also particularly fond of the more reflectively tender “Do I Hear Christmas?” – an original composition which features accompanying cello and flugelhorn that appropriately lend the piece a subtly forlorn touch. Also noteworthy is “Miller Gap”, which showcases both Celtic and renaissance musical elements. It's of the cheeriest songs on the album, featuring a festively classical assortment of piano, strings and Celtic flute. Likewise intriguing is the Darrell Scott cover, “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive”, which feels evocative of an old-west saloon with its characteristically country and western style piano-to-rhythm motif.

Closing out the album on an inspirational note is the minute-long Chris Rice cover, “Go Light Your World”, which features a sentimental blend of piano, strings and saxophone.

A most charmingly elegant album comprised of classical-infused contemporary instrumental music, Beautiful Song seemingly takes its listener on a quaintly scenic tour across both European and American countryside. I especially enjoyed the colorfully instrumental variety among the compositions that each guest musician contributed along the way, as well as the album’s balanced offering of both sunnily uplifting melodies and peaceful moonlight serenades! ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available on Amazon, iTunes, CD Baby and Google Play.