Soul Mates
Scan the New Age musical continuum for pianists and you'll find Danny Wright somewhere betweenJim BrickmanandDavid Lanz, though the spot he occupies sits closer to Lanz than Brickman. Wright, like Lanz and Brickman, favors a melodic, heart-tugging, mostly solo brand of piano music. Brickman, however, employs more pop elements into his works while Wright leans toward the sentimentality, sweetness, and melodrama often found in Lanz's music.Soul Mates, Wright's first release for Real Music, is a gentle collection of piano works (sometimes lightly accented with violins) that sticks to the white keys, particularly those in the upper register where Wright returns again and again to create an airy, twinkling, stardust-like effect. Happily, the compositions (nine originals, two covers) generally rely less on schmaltz and more on a sincere, intelligent delivery to convey their moods of romance and reflection. Several of the selections are pieces he composed for friends as gifts, and one, "Everlasting Love"--a thoughtful, impressionistic composition he debuted at a friend's wedding--is the best of the bunch. It's definitely sweet; fortunately, it's not too syrupy.--Terry Wood