Autumnfelt Piano By James Michael Stevens

 

Autumnfelt Piano

By

James Michael Stevens

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Music brings one many pleasures in life, but at certain times those pleasures can be doubled to bring the willing listener a cornucopia of tonal delights, such is the case today with this brand new and timely album entitled Autumnfelt Piano, and by who else, but the master of melody and mood, James Michael Stevens.

Our journey through the colourful lanes of autumn starts with the beautiful reverie of Autumnfelt Piano, No. 1 (Lonely Journey). Each passing measure highlights falling leaves from the golden trees onto a carpet of orange below, a stunning opening on piano by Stevens, setting the scene with perfection.

Just take a moment to stop, be silent, breath in the moment and enjoy the tones of this next slice of wonderment called Autumnfelt Piano, No. 2 (Quiet Reflections). A calming introspective offering is found here with such a gentle repose, whilst on this next piece we can take that further, Autumnfelt Piano, No. 3 (Musings), allows us a moment under a changing tree, to consider or to ponder the past, the present and what maybe the future.

James has a golden touch on the piano, felt or otherwise, in fact I would go even further and state that he plays felt with such tenderness and loving care like no other, so much so that you are always fully in the moment with him, as on the pieces Autumnfelt Piano, No. 4 (Nostalgic Waltz), a slow dance through a changing woodland, or Autumnfelt Piano, No. 5 (Swans), a track that reminded me of a place I used to live, where both black and white swans lived, swam and bred in perfect harmony.

The blissful harmonies that Steven’s manifests, are akin to watching Monet paint, each touch is magical, each colour a beautiful texture, much the same can be said for the offering Autumnfelt Piano No. 6 (Tiny Ballerina), a composition that is both pristine in structure, but also craft-fully emotional too, the minor nature of this track is utterly beautiful, and arrangements like the following musical narratives in Autumnfelt Piano No. 7 (Simple Pleasures) doubly so, a happy and affectionate manifestation to enjoy an autumn sunset with perhaps.

It is a curious thing for me, as autumn is now my favourite season of the year, a time of softness of mood and nature, a time of ambient temperatures, even where I live in the Middle East! Tracks like Autumnfelt Piano No. 8 (Reverie) are examples of James Michael Stevens at his very best and most sensitive, whilst the glowing embers of Autumnfelt Piano No. 9 (Leaves of Gold) are for me a guilty pleasure of tone and timbre, this is without doubt one of my favourites from the album, the trickling down of notes and glorious elevation of sound and ambience was simply perfection.

The concluding creation is one of the most thoughtful from the album and is called Autumnfelt Piano No. 10 (Last Sunset). We can postulate here that this reveals to us the last sunset of autumn perhaps, before falling into the iciness of winters frozen touch, the colours from this piece though will remain with us until spring when hope rises from the earth once more, but what a stunning final parting gift from the artist indeed.

Autumnfelt Piano by James Michael Stevens is another in a long line of picturesque seasonal albums from the artist, the softness on felt, the melodic and moving structures all go to highlight that James can be held up as one of the finest of his trade in the current era, and an artist that once again has delivered a sublime autumnal offering for us all to absolutely enjoy this fall.