Matthew Cook
The Rose & Other Love Songs
© 2003 Matthew Cook (783707785127)
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He brings his unique piano style to some familiar love songs, taking them beyond the ordinary in a beautiful, flowing manner.
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albums you will love
- MATTHEW COOK: Over The Rainbow
- MATTHEW COOK: Moondance
- MATTHEW COOK: Another Piece Of Me
- MATTHEW COOK: The Sounding Joy
- MATTHEW COOK: Summertime
- MATTHEW COOK: By Request
- MATTHEW COOK: Stormy Weather
- MATTHEW COOK: Redwood Reflections
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notes
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.
reviews
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Great Piano Solos!
author: Kathy Parsons“The Rose & Other Love Songs” is a remastered collection of solo piano pieces recorded live in 1994 and 1997 and previously-released on cassette. As usual, Matthew Cook’s selection of music is eclectic and comes from jazz, standards, and pop sources - something for just about everyone! I really enjoy the variety of selections and Cook’s various playing styles, which range from deep dark blues to singing ballads to easy-going jazz. “Georgia On My Mind” is my favorite track, and is also one of my favorite pieces to play. Cook’s arrangement has a leisurely, bluesy feel with some great improvisational riffs - what a great interpretation of this classic! “Webs/Wind Beneath My Wings” blends Cook’s original “Webs” with the classic pop tune/movie theme - another standout. “Webs” is gorgeous - soulful and yet sparkling. “My Funny Valentine” is one of my favorite standards, and Cook’s take on it is perfect - dark and haunting. I also love his version of “Unchained Melody,” which is tender and loving, much the way the late Bobby Hatfield sang it in The Righteous Brothers. The CD ends in a lighter mood with the jazz classic “Green Dolphin Street.” Other titles include “What a Difference a Day Makes,” “Send in the Clowns,” “Here’s That Rainy Day,” and “When Sunny Gets Blue.” This is a really enjoyable collection!