Contemporary Piano Music

[Nikhil]

Starting a thread to gather information on a genre I really enjoy.

 

I enjoy listening to contemporary piano music and would like to explore this genre more. Examples of music I like very much and listen to are Ola Gjielo's "Piano Improvisations" and "Stone Rose". Both are just fantastic albums which I found while browsing for music on the Album of the Evening thread. Recently I came across another album I like very much - Fiona Joy's "Signature Solo".

 

I would like to distinguish this from piano jazz and classical music as these are not really from that genre although the artists tend to have a background in classical music. For some reason this music has been hard to find and I would be very happy if I can find a few more gems from among the CA community.

[Nikhil]

Thanks One and a half!

 

I have the Marialy Pacheco but Pascal Mailloux is a new discovery!

This is looking very promising.

[Nikhil]

The brand new Martin Tingvall (of the Tingvall trio) solo album Distance is falling into this category I'd say:

 

Distance | Martin Tingvall*– Télécharger et écouter l'album

 

 

Big fan of Tingvall thanks to your Piano Trios thread.

If the style is anything like his trio work then I'm going to like this a lot.

 

 

Being a fan of Blue Coast Records that's where I came across Fiona Joy. I have her "600 Years in a Moment" and really enjoy the atmosphere of relaxation and contemplation that it stimulates. Another nice piano album which can be found at Blue Coast Records is Paul de Benedictis "The Power of One." I don't really know what the right way is to classify albums like these in terms of genre, but I tend to think of them as 'new age piano' or 'atmospheric piano.'

 

 

Thanks wayneoh. Blue Coast Records has some great music from lesser known musicians.

Plus the recordings are top notch.

[Nikhil]

I don't really know what the right way is to classify albums like these in terms of genre, but I tend to think of them as 'new age piano' or 'atmospheric piano.'

 

Definitely "New Age" - which I am not really a big fan of.

Fiona Joy's music is just fantastic when she stays away from the new age "stuff".

[Nikhil]

Of course "Contemporary Piano" should have been included in my list .. sorry Nik.

 

Melvin, the New Age stuff always crops up when I look for this genre of music. Not sure why but somehow somewhere the sitars, vocals, didgeridoos, crystals, etc show up. I guess it works for some but it's not what I'm looking for. Some of Fiona Joy's music has this thing going on. I have to thank Cookie Marenco for "saving" her in the Signature Solo album.

 

 

What a great idea for a thread.

 

Does this qualify?

 

Qobuz Player - High Fidelity music in streaming

 

 

Great to have you on here Geoffrey. Of course it does.

I guess some would call it Contemporary Classical. Great stuff!

[Nikhil]

"En Ny Dag" - Martin Tingvall

 

 

[Nikhil]

"A Year In Zurich" - Martin Tillman

 

 

 

[Nikhil]

Ludovico Einaudi - In A Time Lapse

 

 

 

 

Review: In a Time Lapse - Ludovico Einaudi | AllMusic

[Nikhil]

What a wonderful thread! Thank you for starting it.

 

I can't say I "saved" Fiona Joy in the Signature-Solo piano album. She did it all herself... and it was her idea. I was in favor of a solo piano album because I felt her other albums hid her wonderful abilities on the piano.

 

 

 

Thanks Cookie! It's great to have your comments on here.

 

Fiona's work is incredible when she stays on course. When the chanting and exotic sounds start I switch off. That's really the problem with this New Age music - it's fake. At least in my opinion. Before you know it you find the music sprinkled with a little too much "audiophile dust".

[Nikhil]

Here are a few of my favourites, they are Masters:

 

1. Craig Armstrong

 

2. Mike Garson

 

3. Jordan Rudess

4. Ryuichi Sakamoto

 

 

Excellent references! All new names for me - look forward to exploring their work.

[Nikhil]

Hello Nikhil!

I'm tickled to see your choices, as I have the pleasure of knowing both Fiona Joy and Ola Gjielo, and these are two of my favorite albums, too. I thought you might like to see Fiona's playing...she actually didn't know she was being recorded here, she was just working on a piece...enjoy!

 

 

Thank you Bethbetty. Lovely music on that video. I recognize some of the pieces now from her Signature Solo album which is incredible. Amazing that you know both Fiona and Ola. Are you a musician yourself?

[Nikhil]

Armstrong has a double training: classical and electronic, he has made a lot of movie soundtracks but the one you have to look for based on the subject of this thread is 'Piano Works'.

 

Rudess comes from Juilliard where he learned classical and piano, but went on to play keyboards in Dream Theater, a prog rock group, so try to get his piano album(s).

 

Mike Garson has been David Bowie's pianist since the early 70s.

 

Sakamoto was in the Japanese electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), and the piece he plays above is the live piano version from his soundtrack to Furyo, starring himself and David Bowie.

 

Sakamoto's music stood out for me on first listening. His style is perhaps more to my taste maybe but the others are stellar in their own right. Great to know about the connection with Garson and Bowie. I wondered about that and just assumed he was doing some covers of Bowie's music.

 

I like the musicians of this genre who have a classical background generally. The music has much more solidity to it.

[Nikhil]

Thanks YashN. Will definitely look up Armstrong's music.

[Nikhil]

[Nikhil]

Interesting. Just when I don't want to like it (too repetitive, simple, etc.) it does something interesting - and sounds good doing it.

 

My Tidal favorites is getting unmanageable because of threads like this...

 

 

Yes. This album is a gem - deceptively good. Melancholic.

Reminds of the music in movies like "Inception" or "Interstellar".

[Nikhil]

Jan Gunnar Hoff - Living

 

Classified as jazz but really this is just fine 'contemporary piano' IMO.

 

 

 

[Nikhil]

The Best of Yiruma

Read more on Yiruma's Biography from Last.fm

 

[Nikhil]

Fiona Joy - Into The Mist

Fiona Joy's latest album released recently. Recommended!

 

[Nikhil]

I like the Fiona Joy's albums, was lucky to see her in a small club about 6 months ago, with a couple of tracks from In the mist as advance, and they were great.

 

While I do like Signature and the new album, my favourite or go to though is Blue Dream, available as an SACD. Bob Ludwig did a great job on that one.

 

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Thanks for the reference. Must look this one up!

 

 

If you like piano played a little harder, and the best drumming in jazz (or rock for that matter), look no further than Hiromi. All are VERY good Telarc recordings, with an excellent description of the recording methods used, a true provenance statement.

 

Not quite my style or rather what I am looking for.

Looking more for an easy not jazz listening style on this thread.

[Nikhil]

Philip Glass - Solo Piano (1989)

 

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Wow! Philip Glass just nails this genre ... superb music.

Going to be busy digging all weekend for his music.

[Nikhil]

I am not sure he exactly fits your bill, but you could try Francesco Tristano Schlimé, especially Idiosynkrasia or BachCage

 

Francesco Tristano Schlimé - Télécharger et écouter les albums.

 

 

Thanks Boris! Great share ... from the few Youtubes I've looked at he's a little "experimental" but doesn't fall off the edge in that sense. Takes it to the brink but then brings it back.

 

Very interesting artist. Definitely worth exploring!

[Nikhil]

Maybe way too common, but I'm surprised George Winston hasn't been mentioned. I had the opportunity to be mesmerized by Mr. Winston playing in a small chapel in Sedona AZ. a few years back, watching his hands from two pews away. I have six of his albums, my first being December.

 

Absolutely not. Thanks for sharing.

Listening to "December" on youtube right now - very nice!

[Nikhil]

Blue Coast Records have released Blue Dream as a DSD64. I'm not 100% sure, but the DSD64 this time maybe reworked from the PCM masters, rather than from the original SACD, which is BTW quite a great recording.

 

Thanks again! Will head over there and look it up.

[Nikhil]

Maybe way too common, but I'm surprised George Winston hasn't been mentioned. I had the opportunity to be mesmerized by Mr. Winston playing in a small chapel in Sedona AZ. a few years back, watching his hands from two pews away. I have six of his albums, my first being December.

 

Thanks again. Enjoyed listening to this album earlier this evening.

Probably well known stateside, George Winston is a new discovery for me.

 

 

[Nikhil]

Thanks for the kind words. I really enjoy this music immensely and find myself looking for more. This thread has been a real help in discovering more music. Unfortunately a lot of this music is filed under the New Age genre which is a term I associate more with smoke, crystals and what not.

 

Must look up the Windham Hill material. Thanks for the info!

 

Regards.