“It is often, people ask me where I get my inspiration. As for me, the pieces almost seem to write themselves. I think it must be then, that the source is divine, and while I play one instrument, I become, yet another.” — Ann Sweeten Few pianists have achieved the success and music industry recognition as Ann Sweeten. This very talented artist who is a composer, producer, arranger and sensational pianist has delighted so many music fans across the world with her heartfelt emotive soundscapes for many years. Ann’s new album ‘Flying Solo Silhouette’ is a reflection on the work that she has recorded and produced through the years at Imaginary Road Studios. This retrospective over the past decade covers across 5 albums that Ann co-produced with Grammy Award Winner Will Ackerman. Ann Sweeten wanted to put out an entirely solo album that takes a look back over her sensational career and Will offered to take a listen to that body of work over the last 10 years. Their goal was to create a playlist sequence from 55 compositions that would flow seamlessly from one to the other but yet stand apart to showcase the very wide diversity and breadth of her compositions and nuance of performance. Will and Ann are both thrilled with the end result and send out the new album ‘Flying Solo Silhouette’ to the world for everyone’s listening pleasure. On this new recording, Sweeten offers up rapid playing (‘A Light Rain’ and ‘December Snow’), some slow and flowing pieces (‘Afterglow’, ‘Dawn on Red Mountain’, ‘Broken Wing at North Light’) and some with a melancholy air (‘Eclipse’ and ‘Falling Leaves’ -- the latter capturing the feeling of leaving summer for autumn). She shows two active hands on ‘Nikki’s Song’ and ‘December Snow’, which features a myriad of notes to mimic snowflakes falling down. So here's quite literally to ‘Flying Solo’, as on the Concert Stage! In an era where there are many large, full-bodied productions, it is refreshing to listen to a Steinway artist showing off her craft with just the sounds and tones of one piano carrying the melodies, capturing the spirit of an inspiration, and gently moving the listener from Point A to Point B. This music is guaranteed to leave the listener with a smile upon their face, probably relaxed and mellow, and appreciative of that magical journey that can come from the most masterful of solo piano music, a wonderful album.
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