Sweet Dreams
Perhaps seeking to replenish its artist roster with fresh piano talent following the recent departure of David Lanz, Narada brings us a full-length debut recording from Taiwan native Mia Jang, an artist first introduced to the public on a 1996 label sampler of unsigned pianists (First Light). Jang, who once studied at Taipei's Chinese Culture University under Yo-Yo Ma's father, now resides in the States and composes music unadorned with any noticeable cultural influences. Her 14 piano solos, pieces that had their origin as bedtime confections for her young children, are almost uniformly quiet, reflective, earnestly melodic, and easily digested. Jang perfumes her impressionistic compositions with a gentle spirit that endows them with an essence of instant familiarity; though to her credit, her musical structures convey an intelligence that elevates these pieces a notch above typical lullaby fare. In Jang's world, your dreams will be sweet, not sugar-coated.--Terry Wood