MATTHEW COOK: Stormy Weather

Matthew Cook

Stormy Weather

© 2002 ©Matthew Cook (783707581224)

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A warm, relaxing piano performance filled with romance and passion; a heady mix of unique arrangements and emotional playing.

tracks

1 Our Day Will Come
2 Candle In The Wind
3 Stormy Weather
4 Corcovado
5 Here, There, & Everywhere
6 Moon River
7 Someone To Watch Over Me
8 Desperado
9 God Bless The Child
10 Sanibel
11 You've Changed
12 Bridge Over Troubled Water
13 Dear Prudence

notes

I am an artist from Northern California. I create environments for people to enjoy. Surrounded by the beauty of our Ancient Redwood Forests, steeped in the stillness and awe-inspiring power of nature, my art speaks of a sense of peace and well-being amid the struggles of being human.

For the last 20 years pianist Matthew Cook has been a treasure known only to those who venture beyond the Redwood Curtain in Northern California. During that time he has logged over 200 live performances each year, delighting visitors and locals alike in the area's finest hotels, resorts and concert halls, and created six wonderful collections of solo piano music on CD.

Whether in concert or in your CD changer, concert and recording artist Matthew Cook delivers a warm, relaxing piano performance that lifts one above the hectic cares of the day. With a heady mix of unique arrangements and emotional playing Cook takes his audience on an eclectic journey through some of the great songwriting of 20th Century America. Drawing on a Classical background and his experiences with Rock and Roll, Country and Reggae bands, Cook has developed a refreshing, melodic approach that showcases his love of this wonderful instrument.

With a repertoire ranging from Scott Joplin to Eric Clapton, George Gershwin to John Lennon, Duke Ellington to David Crosby, Cook treats every song with care, drawing the most out of the melody before taking it to new heights.

In his extensive CD collection Matthew Cook gives a nod to many great songwriters and songs of the last Century. Of the six albums, four of them cover 41 renditions of songs that range from the familiar to the obscure. The titles, Stormy Weather, The Rose, Summertime and By Request, give some idea of the range of material represented but don't tell the whole story. Also included are Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight, Ellington's Satin Doll, Denny Sarokin's Sanibel, No Frontiers from Jimmy McCarthy and the Beatles' Dear Prudence.

In addition to songs we all know and love, Cook's performances and recordings also include things not commonly found in the piano repertoire. Storm Warning is one such song written by Terry Britten and Lea Maalfrid and previously performed by Bonnie Raitt. Other examples would be The Dance from Garth Brooks and Wooden Ships from Crosby, Stills & Nash.

One album, Redwood Reflections brings us 12 original piano compositions by the artist. Fostered in the redwoods of Northern California, warm and rich sounds evoke images of nature in this remarkable piano work. A little new age, a little jazz, latin, rock and ragtime sparkle from the pastiche as this hour of delightful music plays through. The ballad If I Could Fill Your Cup and the upbeat El Cuervo are highlights of Cook's live concerts.

The Sounding Joy is a collection of Christmas music. From popular carols to more contemporary songs this album rings in the spirit of the season beautifully.

My life is my art and my art is my life. It has always been thus for me and I have had interesting and rich experiences for it. I have been fortunate to be able to share pieces of that through my music.

Over the years I have developed my own piano style, 'Folk-Jazz' , combining the simplicity, accessibility and personableness of folk music with some of the heady elements of modern jazz.

All of my CDs are high-quality recordings of Yamaha Grand Pianos. 'Summertime' 'The Rose' and 'By Request' were recorded live on a Yamaha C-3. 'Redwood Reflections', 'Stormy Weather', and 'Moondance' were recorded in the studio on a Yamaha C-7.

reviews

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  • Very impressive!
    author: Kathy Parsons

    “Stormy Weather” is a fascinating collection of solo piano arrangements from a dizzying variety of sources - standards to Antonio Carlos Jobim to the Beatles to Henry Mancini. Matthew Cook has been performing in some of the finest hotels, resorts, and restaurants in Northern California for the past twenty years, and truly knows how to play “something for everyone.” Although Cook’s playing is very accomplished, he doesn’t waste a lot of energy playing glissandos up and down the piano or trilling everything to death, as many pianists do to demonstrate their showmanship. Cook’s interpretations allow the melodies to sing through without overdoing the frills - something I really appreciate! I love his take on the standards in this collection - a bluesy title tune that is leisurely and poignant; George and Ira Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me” is given a breezy treatment with a gentle rhythm and wistful mood; “God Bless the Child” is dark and brooding with an extended improvisation in the middle that is very effective; “You’ve Changed” is played in a bluesy style with a great “walking bass” on left hand. Cook included two tracks by The Beatles: “Here, There, and Everywhere” and “Dear Prudence,” with the latter track being my favorite on the CD. The infectious left hand rhythm and spare melody line are terrific! I also really like Denny Sarokin’s “Sanibel,” a warm and inviting ballad that dances off the piano keyboard. A few of the other titles include “Candle in the Wind,” “Moon River,” “Desperado,” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” I’ve really enjoyed this collection, and recommend it to those looking for a fresh take on some old favorites.

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