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With a weekly
radio program aired on over 175 stations across the country, a
newly published book, and his seventh solo album recently
released in stores, Jim Brickman definitely has a lot to be
happy about. Still, it is the “Simple
Things” in life that remain his inspiration, as can be
learned from listening to Brickman’s new CD bearing the same
name.
For the follow up to “My
Romance: An Evening With Jim Brickman,” no title could be
more fitting than "Simple things." Plainly
stated, the thirteen songs are... simple. All you’ll hear are
the gentle sounds of single notes, occasional soft chords, and
flowing melodies – an overall no-frills piano performance that
leaves you calm and relaxed. From the mellow tracks “Catching
Twilight” and “Journey,” to the livelier “The Promise”
and “Night Rain,” Brickman’s strengths as both a composer
and performer are evident. Personal favorites include the
classically influenced “Another Tuesday Morning,” which
features accompaniment by Tracy Silverman and Brickman’s wife,
flutist Thea Suits. Another favorable song is “Gate 41,”
which boasts the talents of percussionist Caito Marcondes.
Unlike Brickman’s
previous albums, “Simple Things” also contains three pieces
with vocal accompaniment - the best of which being the title
track itself. While the bonus piece “It Must Be You” is not
bad, the piano part remains the focus of the song, thus keeping
me thinking that the number might have sounded just as well
without the vocals.
So what’s bad about
the album? Jim Brickman may be taking on too many new things at
once. “One and Only” and “Serenade,” for example, have
elaborate percussion added to the background harmonies making it
come off sounding -- simply stated -- weird. With its modern pop
beats, the latter of the two sounds like a warped version of
Moby’s “Porcelain.”
Overall, Jim
Brickman’s new album is on par with his gold albums “By
Heart,” “The Gift,” “Destiny,” and maybe even the
platinum “Picture This,” thus allowing it to come away with
3.5 stars.
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| Artist |
Jim Brickman |
| Title |
Simple
Things |
| Label |
Windham Hill
Records |
| Reviewer |
Roxanne
Reyes |
| Rating |
 |
|
 |
| web site |
Jim
Brickman's Home |
| win stuff |
 |
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