Con Alare By Jay Frost

 

Con Alare

By

Jay Frost

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s good to hear some traditional solo piano; the genre has been in a state of flux for a few years now, and whilst many pander to an algorithm, others like Jay Frost create music from the heart and manifest tones of honesty and heartfelt truths, here on his latest release Con Alare he does just that, gifting us ever eager listeners an album of 8 compositions, and not one of them is thankfully less than 6 most grateful minutes in duration.

Apparently “Con Alare” is Italian and means “with wings” and one can see why listening to its contents. It was released in December 2025 and features instrumental piano music with a reflective, inspirational style, a typical example is the beginning track called Open Skies, a soft, but assured beginning that constantly raises its self-awareness as it goes.

Taking Wing has a beautifully interesting collage of notes and chord changes, giving it a lush and colourful texture, but adding a little reflection into the weave of the piece as well. The music is written to evoke the feeling of rising, freedom, and movement, like a bird beginning to fly, interestingly enough in the same way with which Elton John composed his track Skyline Pidgeon back in the day.

A quieter moment of reflection comes now in the guise of the track Pezzo Improvviso, so “Pezzo Improvviso” roughly means “an impromptu piece” or “a suddenly inspired composition.” But what Frost has created here is a deeply moving creation that literally comes from the heart of the composer, and one very much appreciated by me, a perfect piece for a perfect moment of stillness and meditative reflection.

A powerful progression can be heard on this next offering entitled Not A Secret, in fact this is quite processional in its energies. Here one can find a creation that is more direct, lyrical and more emotionally open, almost like the music is “speaking plainly.” Note the flourishing technique of Frost on this piece it is very impressive, note the gradual emotional development rather than any sudden changes.

We slip delicately in to the second half of the album with a beautifully pristine piece entitled False Fears-Fiery Furnace (Medley). One can find everything here, expressive piano lines with emotional contrasts, chord progressions that symbolize tension and release, and all in this illustrious two part melody of great quality.

A second melody is now on its way with the following musical tale entitled Father Of Lights-Fill Us Today (Medley). Here regardless of any religious connection listeners can find an uplifting piece, one that could be asking for guidance, inspiration, and or renewal, this offering has a textured interplay I found utterly palpable and enjoyable, and one would do well to note how the music builds gently, giving a sense of rising and expansion, in one of the most creative and emotive pieces from the release.

Our penultimate offering is called Everlasting, the title suggests timelessness, continuity, and enduring hope, the reflective moments manifest something quite powerful and moving, there is a deep dramatic effect here that is incredibly touching, and those steady supportive left-hand chords create a foundation of stability for the overall narrative of the song to flourish.

We conclude this collection of fine solo piano compositions with the last track off the album entitled God Is Love. Flowing chords give us as listeners a sense of gentle encompassing warmth emanating from the piano, perhaps by ending in this manner it gives the listener a sense of completion and transcendence, within the arms of an energy we all know very well called hope.

Con Alare by Jay Frost must be one of the most vibrant solo piano albums I have heard for quite some time, and whilst this release, and perhaps the album, focuses on expressive solo piano pieces, ones that are often calm and perhaps spiritual, designed for listening, reflection, or worship settings, I truly believe that music transcends even those boundaries, and as such is one of the finest piano performances one could ever wish to hear. At times reflective, at times deeply moving, regardless this contribution to the tonal delights of the genre know as solo piano is all the better for it.