Here's a review of my latest songbook from MainlyPiano.com (Kathy Parsons):
"Brian Kelly’s Pools of Light Solo Piano Songbook is a completely revised and expanded edition of the e-book that was published in 2006. Twelve of the thirteen tracks from the album are included (“Sacred Waters” is a percussion interlude that isn’t adaptable to the piano), transcribed by Kelly himself and arranged for solo piano; I helped with the editing. The Pools of Light recording is ensemble, so some of the parts for other instruments have been incorporated into the piano part to make the sheet music sound as close to the original recording as possible. Kelly also wrote four pages of performance notes to help the pianist understand his intentions and to note differences from the recording. Coming from the composer himself, these notes are invaluable!
Brian Kelly is an incredible pianist who is very fluent in jazz stylings, so his music is far from simple and would be beyond beginning and intermediate pianists’ capabilities. Some of the pieces include cadenzas that are complicated and require very nimble fingers. The jazz rhythms are complex (and a lot of fun!) and some of the pieces have difficult key signatures (noted below). Kelly has suggested fingering for some of the thornier passages and expression has been carefully indicated according to the CD. The book is printed on bright white paper with clear, crisp type, and is spiral bound. The spacing within the scores is roomy and easy to read, and the cover is a beautiful print of the album cover artwork on glossy stock, making this a very attractive book! If you are a pianist at an early advanced to advanced playing level, this book is great fun and very satisfying to play! It is available from amazon.com and www.briankelly.com, and I highly recommend it!"
The 2009 Just Plain Folks Music Awards Album Winners have been announced. I'm excited and honored to learn that my album, Afterplay, came in 2nd place in the "Best Instrumental Jazz Album" category. The winners are listed here: http://www.jpfolks.com/09albumwinners.html
Two tracks from my Afterplay CD ("Flavor Seven" and "Celtic Fire") are currently in the "SongVault Jazz Finals Chart" at SongVault.fm. I would appreciate your votes to help these tracks make it to the top tier. You must log in to participate in voting. It's simple (no validation of your email is required). Once you're logged in, type my name in the Search box, click "Go", you'll see my list of my tracks on the right side, click on the track titles to listen and vote. Thanks!
My new CD, Afterplay, is available now and ready to ship! Order from my website: www.briankelly.com
$14
I've turned up the heat on this album. It's more energetic than my first, while still offering space for beauty and quiet eloquence – it's a full meal! I remain committed to strong melodies, fluid chops, and richly textured arrangements, and am joined by some fantastic musicians who really bring the music alive: Eric Crystal on sax, David Rokeach on drums, Viviana Guzman and Carol Alban on flutes, James Robinson on acoustic guitar, Ross Wilson on trumpet & trombone, and Tim Bolling on percussion. The CD is also available from: CdBaby & Amazon
Afterplay, the new CD by composer & pianist Brian Kelly, will be released October 15, 2008. A contemporary blend of Smooth Jazz and New Age styles, the album features the world-class talents of Eric Crystal on sax, David Rokeach on drums, James Robinson on guitar, Viviana Guzman on flute and other fine musicians. Both the physical CD and the mp3 album download will be available on www.briankelly.com
1. River Rush
2. Smiling South
3. New Vision
4. Snowflakes Rising
5. Flavor Seven
6. Afterplay
7. Heaven On Earth
8. Celtic Fire
9. Stone Shine
10. Reach For The Stars
11. Sunchaser