"... filled with passion, power and intensity. I cannot remember hearing vocals this good for years." S. Sheppard, OWMR, UK International award winning vocalist and composer Kristin Amarie's latest release! A collection of some of her favorite songs from Broadway to the Beatles.

"... filled with passion, power and intensity. I cannot remember hearing vocals this good for years." S. Sheppard, OWMR, UK

Known primarily as a singer of original contemporary music, Internationally acclaimed and award winning vocalist and composer, Kristin Amarie, steps into the spotlight to show us her wide range of vocal talents on some of her very favorite classic pop songs and ballads

Her fans know her primarily for her gentle, sensuous and sensitive voice, but here she also belts out in dramatic fashion showing us she is a force to be reckoned with!

From Broadway to the Beatles, Streisand to Mancini, and a sampling of her own music for good measure, Kristin Amarie gives us a listen and a birds eye view into her Private Collection.

Neo Classical sounds blended with Ambient Pop, a little bit of New Age and a dash of Jazz make up the musical landscape.

“Along with a truly all-star cast of musical accompanists, their new album, "Silhouettes Of Love" is a stunning synergy of new age, smooth jazz, and more, that transcends it roots to produce an innovative sound that breaks new ground for these talented artists - a piano icon and a rising star.” Michael Diamond, michaeldiamondmusic.com

“Amarie's voice is heavenly, and Lanz's adroit touch on the ivories is as delightful as ever. “ Bill Binkelman, Retailing Insight & Zone Music Reporter

“An album oozing with class, constructed with passion, and performed with great skill and dedication!” Steve Shepard, One World Music Radio

In earlier days, Grammy nominated pianist, David Lanz, was also a singer songwriter, but the combination of his strengths as a pianist and composer for piano led him into the contemporary piano genre where he is most well known. Now, with the stunning voice and award-winning artistry of Kristin Amarie, he has again found his lyrical path and the perfect collaborator to bring that to life! With an extremely talented group of featured musicians, producers and technicians, Lanz and Amarie offer this beautiful new recording… “Silhouettes of Love.

WINNER of IMA Awards "Best New Age Album" 2015. Ethereal songs containing elements of Classical Crossover/ Ambient / New Age and World Music

WINNER of IMA Awards 2015 "Best New Age" album!

"..... a talent so rare and delightful that time literally stands still whist listening to her." Steve Sheppard, One World Music.

"Notes from a Journey" provides the perfect vehicle for Kristin Amarie to finally express the full range of her talent from ethereal Eny-like incantations to lushy orchestrated compositions with echoes of the far corners of the world Kristin has inhabited.

"I've reviewed dozens of holiday music recordings over the years but I can't remember the last time I was so touched by an album, especially one which featured mostly original compositions." Bill Binkelman, Wind and Wire

One of the founding artists of the new age piano genre, David Lanz, and the ultra-gifted vocalist Kristin Amarie, collaborate on a welcome addition to the holiday music canon, Forever Christmas. The duo are joined on the album by some talented guest stars: Eric Tingstad (guitar), Nancy Rumbel (woodwinds), Walter Gray (cello), Gary Lanz (guitar), Keith Lowe (bass), and Alonzo Davideo (guitar), although piano clearly dominates the recording. Eleven of the album's fourteen tracks are originals–unusual for a Christmas album but also a welcome change from the norm in this genre. A mixture of instrumentals and vocals is also a nice touch and gives the recording even broader appeal. Amarie's voice is a thing of rare beauty–crystal clear (her wonderful annunciation makes it easy to understand the new songs' lyrics), incredibly expressive, and heart-breakingly beautiful to hear, whether she is singing barely above a whisper or hitting an emotive crescendo. Lanz's playing is, as long-time fans have to come to expect, the very definition of superb control of nuance and infusion of sincerity and warmth.

Almost all of the music is on the softer, romantic side of the mood continuum (although one uptempo piece, Jubilate, livens things up for a brief moment). As such, the album would be a nice soundtrack for quiet gatherings during the holiday season, maybe relaxing in front of a roaring fire, or while trimming the Christmas tree, or as Christmas Eve transitions to the morn (resting up before the kids come pouring down the stairs to see what lies under the tree).

Kristin Amarie's voice cannot help but be the star on the tracks on which she appears. The title track (accented by bells, strings and Rumbel's woodwind) could easily become a holiday classic–the lyrics are some of the best I have heard in a "contemporary carol" in years, genuinely warm and touching without resorting to cliche, maudlin sentimentality, or greeting card simplicity. Her take on O Holy Night is a revelation as her voice seems to meld with the spiritual words in perfect symmetry, guided by Lanz's superb piano playing which matches her emotional impact at every turn. On the higher notes, which sometimes trip up lesser vocalists, Amarie seems to find a whole other gear, so to speak. At one point, my breath was literally taken away.

Scattered among the earlier tracks are two "gold nuggets," i.e. short (less than 2 minutes) solo piano pieces (Snow Dance, and La Estrella de la Navidad) that showcase Lanz's playing at its most tender and evocative. Throughout the album, Lanz continues to show why even after all these years he is a force to be reckoned with in the densely populated genre of new age piano. In fact, his playing on the album is among some of the best work he has done in years. He and Amarie find a perfect "simpatico" moment on the reflective ballad What Is Christmas which could easily be a huge radio hit if released as a single (hint hint).

I've reviewed dozens of holiday music recordings over the years but I can't remember the last time I was so touched by an album, especially one which featured mostly original compositions. Clearly, Lanz and Amarie have tapped into the deepest, truest resonance of Christmas time and the holiday spirit. Whether it's the former's flowing piano melodies that are as warm and welcoming as a fire in the hearth for a weary traveler or the latter's tender, soulful vocals which serve as a soothing balm for this mega-stressful time of year, the result is an album that you and your loved ones will enjoy time and time again, year after year–a recording that will light the candle of holiday spirit on even the coldest of winter nights.

Bill Binkelman, Wind and Wire

The latest release from the master New Age piano pioneer David Lanz. A collection of beautiful improvisations, ~ hauntingly introspective.

Many have tried to define David Lanz style, but that would be too simple. David Lanz plays David Lanz music. As both composer and interpreter, his approach to music is often larger than life, breathtaking in its breadth, yet accessible and down-to-earth as well. Through his music, Lanz connects in an intimate manner with his audience by tapping into emotions, thoughts and dreams like an old friend. Early in Lanz’s career, he took gigs playing rock, funk and disco. Then he had an epiphany: “I had been doing yoga and meditating and getting into Eastern philosophy,” says Lanz, “and slowly I started thinking about how music could help. With music, you could get people to dance or you could get people to meditate or to march off to war. I was aware of a few other musicians who were doing light, ambient music and I was always into what the classical East Indian musicians were doing, creating trance states. By the early ‘80s I was really into the idea that this kind of music would be an interesting path to take.” In 1983, Lanz made his recording debut, Heartsounds, on Narada. It was received favorably and Lanz was off, pursuing his new direction and exploring the various ways he might touch an emerging listenership. During the next five years he released six new albums and landed a major commercial breakthough with 1988’s Cristofori’s Dream. The album consisted of six originals, including the opening title track, which has become a classic, and a cover of Procol Harum’s 1967 rock hit “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” Cristofori’s Dream topped Billboard Magazine’s first Adult Alternative/New Age chart and remained for an impressive 27 weeks. 1990 brought about the release of Skyline Firedance, which joined Lanz with an 80-piece orchestra. He continued to record for Narada, issuing several more titles including 1998’s Songs From an English Garden, his first to tap into the British Invasion repertoire of the ’60s. In 2000, he changed recording homes to Decca Records where he scored a Grammy nomination for East Of the Moon. Lanz continued to record and tour relentlessly, releasing eleven titles between 2001 and 2007. In 2008, he made his Shanachie debut, Painting In the Sun, and in 2012 he paid homage to The Beatles with Here Comes The Sun and Liverpool Re-Imagining The Beatles.

Truly a renaissance man, David Lanz is always heading into the unknown in order to expand his artistry and share what he’s found with the world. His musical offering is a welcomed retreat back into music with heart, soul, courage, adventure, humanity and purpose. With the release of Movements Of The Heart, the journey continues and David Lanz concludes, “I always want my listeners to really enjoy the music, but if it connects to their deeper levels of emotion and allows them to really feel the stirrings in their own hearts...all the better!”

From the Liner Notes:

At the piano, in the early morning hours of summer past, I would mentally prepare before I began to record the compositions for what became my "Norwegian Rain" release. Often times it helped me to prepare when I would chose to first move into a gentle improvisation.

This process allowed me to relax and get into the right frame of mind so later, after playing these extemporaneous pieces, I could concentrate on the more serious work at hand... the recording of my composed music.

After listening back to this collection of improvisations, I found that the lack of structure and preordained melody made for an enjoyable ambient yet sophisticated sonic experience.

Recorded in our temporary French villa, in the summer of 2016, now for you to sample and savor, these pianistic French Impressions."

David Lanz

A new album by the master new age piano pioneer David Lanz. Beautiful, melodic and hauntingly introspective.

Many have tried to define David Lanz style, but that would be too simple. David Lanz plays David Lanz music. As both composer and interpreter, his approach to music is often larger than life, breathtaking in its breadth, yet accessible and down-to-earth as well. Through his music, Lanz connects in an intimate manner with his audience by tapping into emotions, thoughts and dreams like an old friend. Early in Lanz’s career, he took gigs playing rock, funk and disco. Then he had an epiphany: “I had been doing yoga and meditating and getting into Eastern philosophy,” says Lanz, “and slowly I started thinking about how music could help. With music, you could get people to dance or you could get people to meditate or to march off to war. I was aware of a few other musicians who were doing light, ambient music and I was always into what the classical East Indian musicians were doing, creating trance states. By the early ‘80s I was really into the idea that this kind of music would be an interesting path to take.” In 1983, Lanz made his recording debut, Heartsounds, on Narada. It was received favorably and Lanz was off, pursuing his new direction and exploring the various ways he might touch an emerging listenership. During the next five years he released six new albums and landed a major commercial breakthough with 1988’s Cristofori’s Dream. The album consisted of six originals, including the opening title track, which has become a classic, and a cover of Procol Harum’s 1967 rock hit “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” Cristofori’s Dream topped Billboard Magazine’s first Adult Alternative/New Age chart and remained for an impressive 27 weeks. 1990 brought about the release of Skyline Firedance, which joined Lanz with an 80-piece orchestra. He continued to record for Narada, issuing several more titles including 1998’s Songs From an English Garden, his first to tap into the British Invasion repertoire of the ’60s. In 2000, he changed recording homes to Decca Records where he scored a Grammy nomination for East Of the Moon. Lanz continued to record and tour relentlessly, releasing eleven titles between 2001 and 2007. In 2008, he made his Shanachie debut, Painting In the Sun, and in 2012 he paid homage to The Beatles with Here Comes The Sun and Liverpool Re-Imagining The Beatles.

Truly a renaissance man, David Lanz is always heading into the unknown in order to expand his artistry and share what he’s found with the world. His musical offering is a welcomed retreat back into music with heart, soul, courage, adventure, humanity and purpose. With the release of Movements Of The Heart, the journey continues and David Lanz concludes, “I always want my listeners to really enjoy the music, but if it connects to their deeper levels of emotion and allows them to really feel the stirrings in their own hearts...all the better!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From the liner notes on his latest album "Norwegian Rain":

After spending several summer's in Norway, my wife, Kristin Amarie's homeland, I found a special kinship with an old upright piano that had belonged to Kristin's grandfather. This instrument and I became close friends in between sight seeing and spending time with her Norwegian family.

Much of what you will hear on this recording began over those two summers on her grandfather's beloved piano. Later, while living in France, these compositions along with a few newer pieces were refined and then recorded in the summer of 2016 in our temporary French villa.

I now have a special place in my heart for Norway and my Norwegian family. Those feelings can all be heard here and felt like a cool morning mist in the Fjords... like notes falling from the skies. The piano's echo of a sweet Norwegian Rain.

David Lanz