Friday, May 4, 2018

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.