Night Music by Chris Welch

As on Songs Without Words, Chris is quite adept at knowing which electronic keyboards work best in any given setting, although piano predominates throughout the CD. The mix, by the way, particularly when there is vibraphone, is wonderfully balanced.

The mood of these pieces is, of course, laid-back and (almost always) purposely placid. However, there is variety of style here, with trace elements of light jazz and subtle shadings of neo-classical, too, as well as plenty of romantic new age music touches here and there. The tracks don't have titles, per se, instead being identified by the type of music (e.g. Prelude, Nocturne, Interlude) and numbered (#1, #4 in E Major, etc.). In some ways, that's perfect, because it eliminates the sometimes fallen-into trap of an artist penning cliché or trite names for songs that have emotional resonance.

With fourteen selections on the CD, I'm hard-pressed to choose my favorites. But since I'm partial to vibes, I'd say that "Lullaby #2 in D Major" and "Lullaby #4 in E Major" are among them. I also like the gently swaying sensuality of "Bossa Nova Lullaby in Db" and the plaintive "Nocturne in C Minor" graced by a mournful nylon string guitar. The solo piano pieces and the ones featuring an accompanist are all wonderful and should fit in well with late night reading or conversation when ambient music is not romantic enough or something more "grounded" or "traditional" is needed or desired. Of course, it goes without saying that rocking your child to sleep with this CD playing would be a joy - for both of you!

Sometimes, I like music that is like a well-worn flannel shirt - simple, unadorned, comfortable, and capable of making my troubles seem less intimidating. Cynics may balk at how Chris wears his heart on his sleeve throughout these lovely melodies, but romantics will have their spirits lifted and troubled minds eased and perhaps even find themselves smiling as memories of our youth (or of more recent yesterdays) fade into view, if only for an instant. Night Music is a splendid effort and I recommend it to new age music, adult contemporary, and acoustic music fans without reservation."

-Bill Binkleman, Editor, Wind and Wire magazine

"Night Music" is a delightful collection of smooth jazz pieces inspired by the birth of Chris Welch's child. Mostly lullabies and nocturnes, the music is gentle and easy, but never mushy or cloying. Welch plays piano and keyboards, and is joined on most of the pieces with a combination of bass, guitar, percussion, and vibraphone. Smooth enough for a backdrop for other activities, this music really should be listened to and savored. My favorite track is "Nocturne in C Minor", which begins with a melancholy guitar melody line. Welch comes in with a simple rhythm on piano, and then the piece evolves into a gorgeous duet for piano and guitar, maintaining the bittersweet flavor of the opening passage, but becoming improvised and almost bluesy. A great piece! The opening track, "Prelude, Op. 11 #3" is also especially nice - a warm and inviting solo piano piece with a jazzy rhythm. "Interlude #2" opens with rather darkly mysterious piano chords, and then the guitar enters to lighten the mood a bit - another stand-out piano and guitar duet. Classical influences can be heard in Welch's music as well as the more obvious jazz background. His music is a cut above a lot of smooth jazz. It is immediately accessible, but complex enough to listen to over and over, discovering different nuances each time. This is a very enjoyable album, and I recommend it!

- Kathy Parsons, Solo Piano Publications

Chris Welch Bio:

Chris Welch (piano/keyboards) has performed many styles of music with many musicians and groups, including The Groove, Sonando, Ted Kamp, Scott Lindenmuth, Show Brazil, Calypso Blue, The Modern Mallet Jazz Quintet, Cabaret Productions, Evan Buehler, Xebec, May Palmer, Emerald City Jazz Orchestra, Northwest Girlchoir, and The Christopher Gross Ensemble. In addition, Chris leads groups of varied size and instrumentation that perform at clubs, festivals, weddings, and private parties. Chris has performed at most major Northwest music venues.

Chris's recording credits include: *Night Music by Chris Welch *Songs Without Words by Chris Welch *Urban Christmas by XEBEC *Destiny by reggae/soca/ska band The Groove *543 by jazz vibraphonist Evan Buehler *Hit The Mark and The Hidden Tiger by jazz/fusion band The Christopher Gross Ensemble.

Chris composes and arranges for jazz groups, piano students, solo piano, choirs, and theater. He teaches composition, music theory, and classical, jazz, and popular music in private lessons for children and adults. He plays recording studio sessions and does sound design and music recording work in his home studio. Chris earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies at the University of Washington.

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