Piano Dreams By James Michael Stevens

 

Piano Dreams

By

James Michael Stevens

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I really don’t know how James does it, album after album, release after release, but as the years roll past, each of his delicious offerings are as fresh, textured and colourful as ever, but for me the secret is that his music is comfort for the musical soul, as once more James Michael Stevens gifts us another new offering called Piano Dreams, and never has an album been better named.

The opening to this lush release is called Dreamy Nights and Quiet Skies an arrangement that does exactly what it says on the can with utter ease, a gentle ramble through musical tonal fields of a golden dawn and we are off again on another delightful voyage of calm with the pianist.

There is nothing quite like the subject of this next track, Early Morning Sunrise, the freshness of the air, the sounds of nature and the joy of being in a solitude of natural bliss before humanity rears its head above the sheets. Here for me, James paints that picture perfectly with a soothing refrain on piano, but one that encapsulates a slow and soft palate of a summer sunrise.

I have many memories of this subject matter, being next to one always was a thing of great comfort and pleasure, it seems somewhat strange that I am now a resident of a country that has no rivers other than mountain streams if we’re lucky, but there are many other benefits. River Stones is a charming musical narrative and in part also reminds me of my late, but still great friend Annie Locke, whose musical narratives about these delightful waterways were always a sensitive pastiche of tones too, this is marvellous from the artist, and a track that brought back some simply moving memories for me personally.

The change in key was remarkable and brought about a subtle, but poignant mood to this next brilliant piece called Misty Reflections. This one could easily follow on from any sunrise moment, I have been fortunate enough to watch many special misty moments across many lakes and ponds in my time, and this composition catches that mysterious mood with great aplomb.

We now move to a spring reverie called Yellow Tulips, the slow and careful narrative created by James here brings a wonderful symbiotic feel to the overall mood of the creation as one can completely feel the sway and movement of the tulip in the soft April breeze.

This next piece reminded me of a song I heard whilst drifting through YouTube and coming across a long form video with a copious amount of light Jazz piano playing under the said Jazz Coffee shop, both brought me great comfort, in the very same way this arrangement does, there is something so very calming about this composition that after a while it became a timeless dream of great beauty and called Purple Smoke - Slow Jazz Piano.

This next offering had such an attractive title that it totally fascinated me and called Brandywine Falls. I have recently found out that it is in a national park in the US, so even though I cannot go to this location physically, I can at least travel vicariously through this marvellous manifestation by the artist and it is indeed a most beautiful experience indeed.

The deeper part of this musical forest would reveal a stunning gem of a composition called Theme from Wanderer Fantasy, this musical memory place of a composition was indeed a highlight from the album, its moody refrains encapsulate the title perfectly and its reflective musical gaze doubly so.

The penultimate track from the album is entitled Summer Lullaby and this appropriate performance is redolent of the subject matter entirely as I sit here in temperatures that in the old Fahrenheit would seem somewhat extreme at just over 107°F. This crafted composition though is clever, its slow and torpid presentation is exactly how it feels when you try to do anything in this heat, so lay back, grab a cocktail and listen to a James Michael Stevens playlist instead.

We conclude our musical voyage with the composer with the last creation from the album and this parting gift is called Reminiscent of a Dream, which is a nice way with which to leave the release almost like we started it, a gentle soft touch on the keys, a sweet light jazz motif, in a way it really can’t get any better than this.

So the composer, pianist and creator of chill solo piano, does it again, by producing a sublimely chilled collection of tranquil, yet thoughtful musical narratives on his trusty piano, leaving us ever grateful listeners full in the knowledge that the world of relaxing piano is safe in the hands of James Michael Stevens and his latest album Piano Dreams, a release you must have at all costs.