Album Review: Spirit from Peter Calandra

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Album:  Spirit
Artist:  Peter Calandra
Website:  https://www.petecalandramusic.com/
 
Spirit, the latest release from neo-classical composer and chamber jazz pianist Peter Calandra, illustrates reflections brought to the canvas in melodic form.  From soothing lullabys to majestic landscapes, the music is expressive, introspective, and deeply sentimental.  Calandra's solo works demonstrate his keen melodic sensibilities and instinctive sense of synchronicity.  A native of orchestral tones and organic musings, Calandra creates fluidly versed stories, garnished in glittering notes and ethereal emanations.

The compositions flow seamlessly, turning another page in the recording's journal with each track.  The earthy textures of his keys ruminate with an intuitive stroke along "The Weight," transitioning into the pensive mood of "Reflective Romance," puncturing the track with swirling doodles on the piano keys, peppered lightly across the melodic progression.  

The echoey atmospheric of "Thankful" produces a celestial sonorous through the soundscape, shifting to a chamber jazz tint along "Uncle John's Band."  The soft rustling of Calandra's keys along "Night Sky" ignite a gentle glow, moving to a somber vibe through "Spring Hope," forming smooth creases as the melody evolves.  The music elicits calmness, transporting the listener into a peaceful state of being.

A prosperous composer and pianist, Peter Calandra has scored over 100 films and written over 2500 compositions for television, films and his own albums.  Currently, he is on the faculty at the Aaron Copland School Of Music at Queens College, CUNY teaching Audio/MIDI, Film Scoring and Music Composition to both graduate and undergraduate students.

Musicians:
Peter Calandra - piano and composer

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