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Release Date:
May 25, 2010

Reviewed by:
Harvey Cline

Pianist Chris Geith comes back with fifteen entertaining tracks this summer that should make most fans of the instrument stand up and notice. The cuts here are lively with a lot of chord action. They move you from one point to another with very little effort. It’s the kind of disc you want to slide into the car as you cruise down by the shore, around the curvy mountains or in the living room on a beautiful day. With the help of guitarist Matt Marshak and saxophonist Fred Scerbo, this one has a lot to offer everyone.

“Watch Your Step” is a lively opener that gets everything started off on the right foot sort of speak. The layers here give way to Geiths’s piano and the hook is soon set for some really good action on the keys. Marshak adds some nice acoustic and the pace picks up on the second cut entitled “Easy Does It.” Its driving beat makes this one a good one for the car. This one just makes you feel good. Slowing down the pace, the theme to “Once In A Lifetime” is a little more deliberate in its delivery. The piano work between the chorus goes in a lot of directions before coming back around to heavier chord work that continues to stay light as well. You can hear some of his best work here near the end as this one comes to a close. “Coastal Daydreaming” is very correctly titled. It is the one I’d choose to hit the Pacific Coast Highway with. Geith’s piano is work is light with some really nice melodies that makes this one that you will want to hit the replay button again. Add in a little bit of guitar from Matt, and you have a nice one. “Mirror of Happiness” sounds much like the song before, which may be one of the reasons for the title as it “mirrors” the other. Chris’ solo towards the middle is outstanding and can be heard as a little bit different than the rest of the song.

You’ll probably be hearing more of the mystic “Diamonds In The Sky.” Its haunting intro continues well past the beginning and is segmented by some nice work on acoustic again by Marshak. It is the perfect lead in to the mellow, introspective “Only The Heart Knows.” The five note progression in the chorus brings in the emotional side of this one along with some nice touches of guitar. All is happy when we board the plane and are “Flying West.” It moves along at a nice pace and has to be one of my favorites on the disc. The piano is light and lively as he visits the upper “atmosphere” of the keyboard. It is almost like hearing part two when we move on to “Above the Clouds.” It moves along at the same pace and has added highlights of Marshak’s acoustic. The drums drive this one along while all three instruments play well off each other.

The title track is another that you’ll be hearing a lot. It has that classic “piano riff” that locks away in your memory back. The sax is a little more prominent here while the chorus gives you more of retro feel to it. It also contains some of Geith’s best work on the disc. Chris moves full steam ahead on “Tomorrow’s Promise” as well as the next two cuts. All three incorporate nice back beats that  give way to the light playing of the piano. He finishes out the set with “Yesterday’s Goodbye” which slows the pace down considerably and is basically just acoustic piano. It’s a great way to close out.

Piano fans are always looking for just a little bit more, and think there’s a lot here to offer them. None of the fifteen songs really ever venture too far from what made his last release such a favorite. There are a lot of melodic hooks along with the lightly corded verses that keep his fans coming back for more. Be sure to check out Chris Geith’s latest “dreams” real soon.