Bruce Von Stiers
Every once in a while someone will reach out to me and suggest an artist that they feel I should listen to. This is how I happened upon Craig Urquhart. He has had three albums out since 1990. They have all received critical acclaim. Craig has a brand new album out that will delight fans of solo piano instrumentals. The title of the album is Evocation. It was produced by Craig for his own label, Heartearth Music.
There are 12 songs on the album that makes up for almost a full hour of wonderful piano music.
Craig studied at the University of Michigan and then began a career as the Personal Assistant to Leonard Bernstein. He was also a faculty member of the Harlem School of the Arts for 10 years. So he has some pretty good credentials for providing piano music. Craig lists Bach, Mendelssohn, Chopin and others as strong influences on his music.
Fruhling is the first song on the album. Translated from the German, it means springtime. You get a sense of spring flowers and grassy meadows by listening to the music in this song.
Old Trees is the next song. It is a little more intense and moody. Listening to it somehow evoked an image in my mind of a study or library in an old mansion.
The Whale’s Lament is a pretty strong and sad song. It suggests the possibility of a whale having been beached and is dying. Then we move on to Strolling, which evokes thoughts of taking a walk among the fall trees.
The next song, Blues, was described as being about a “pianist in a dark bar” with a cigarette and a drink to keep him company. It has just a little bit of attitude, so you might be able to imagine a raspy pianist playing for drinks and tips.
The title track, Evocation, is next. It reminded me of a ballet dancer twirling about.
Other songs on the album are Elegy, Poem, Nocturne, and Wind Dance. There is also the Epilogue and Blues Too.
If you like solo piano music that is classically tinted, then you will enjoy Evocation. It showcases the influences that composers like Back and Chopin has had on Craig.
To get more information on Evocation, visit the Heartearth Music web site. It can be found at www.heartearthmusic.com.