Grand Passion
If you are a Jim Brickman fan who believes it's just not hip to like John Tesh,Grand Passioncould easily change your mind. Tesh, criticized at times for displays of bombast or excessive sentimentality in his compositions, here turns in a commendably restrained set of succinctly stated themes, many of them performed in a solo piano format--a surprising first for a keyboard artist who has nearly two dozen recordings in circulation. Tesh's economic compositions here feature structurally simple melodies that are uniformly likeable and, to the unjaded listener, truly touching. "Smooth jazz" radio programmers rarely, if ever, grant exposure to solo piano selections, so Tesh generated airplay by recruiting two R&B; vocalists, James Ingram and Dalia Reid, to make guest appearances on two tracks, "Give Me Forever--I Do" and "Mother I Miss You," respectively. Nelson Rangell contributes saxophone to a quiet reworking of Tesh's familiar "Bastille Day," but beyond that Tesh goes it alone, delivering some lovely, thoughtful results in the process while consciously avoiding schmaltz. Ending "Song for Prima," a lullaby for his daughter, with a few high-register notes from "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" is a little corny, but an excusable digression considering the overall quality of this package. If pretty, well-conceived piano music is your passion, this is an album worthy of your attention.--Terry Wood