Music Style Piano Pop, Classica/New Age Piano Solos

Musical Influences Jon Schmidt

Similar Artists Jon Schmidt, Jim Brickman, David Lanz, George Winston

Group Members Craig Coleby

Instruments Piano

Albums "A Time To Remember"

Press Reviews "A Time to Remember," by Craig ColebyReview by Eric D. SniderPublished in The (Provo, Utah) Daily Herald on July 31, 1998 Craig Coleby, a New-Age pianist/composer who is also a BYU student, has potential. His album, "A Time to Remember," is gentle and pretty, full of well-played piano solos meant to inspire a variety of feelings and moods. The songs are full of melody, and they are peaceful, though not boring or sluggish. Many of them have a flowing feel to them, almost like that of a swiftly moving mountain stream. Indeed, a swiftly moving mountain stream is the sort of image Coleby would like to conjure up with his music. He speaks in the liner notes of being inspired by nature, and several of the songs ("Setting Suns," "Winter Rain," "Serenity") are said to be specifically evocative of nature's beauty. What Coleby does not ultimately succeed at is providing much variety. All 11 songs on the album are pretty -- some of them ("Dreams of Yesterday," to name one) are even beautiful -- but there is an unfortunate sameness to them. There seems to be a lack of passion or intensity. Comparisons to Utah's premier New-Age classical pianist Jon Schmidt are inevitable. Not only did Coleby open for Schmidt at the latter's two big concerts at BYU in May, but he was a student of Schmidt's for a brief time, and their styles are similar. But what separates the two is that while Schmidt's albums have much of the gorgeous, lilting music such as is found on "A Time to Remember," they also have some heart-pounding, fast-tempo songs. On Coleby's album, there is not a single crashing chord to be found, or for that matter, even much in the way of loud/soft dynamics. "Winter Rain" comes the closest, but it does not come close enough. Again, Coleby has promise. He plays the piano exceptionally and obviously has song-writing skills. If he can vary up the mood a bit and start to truly evoke feelings with his music -- instead of just saying in the liner notes how we're SUPPOSED to feel when we hear the songs -- then he has the potential to be every bit as successful as Jon Schmidt, Jim Brickman, or any of the other good piano soloists. Craig Coleby has potential. "A Time to Remember" is a good first step in what could be a very successful career. Buy this album and encourage him.

Location Milwaukee, WI - USA

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