Michael Logozar - Shine (2015)

"Shine" is pianist/composer/producer Michael Logozar’s fifth full-length album and I think this is his best work yet. It is unusual to find an album with no weak tracks, but this one is stellar from beginning to end. Three of Logozar’s four previous albums have been on my annual Favorites list, and those same three albums were nominated for Album of the Year by Whisperings Solo Piano Radio. I would expect "Shine" to fare just as well, if not even better. Like his previous albums, "Shine" is solo piano composed and performed from the heart with a playing technique that is both expressive and masterful. Classically trained from childhood, Logozar recorded and produced other artists in his studio before releasing his first album, "Coming Into View," in 2008. The twelve tracks on "Shine" are often light and happy, but there is a nice balance with a few pieces that are a bit darker or more reflective. Some of the tracks convey the freedom of improvisation - something Logozar is especially adept at - and some are more structured and “composed” - again, a wonderful variety.

"Shine" begins with the title track, a bright and sunny ode to joy that dances all over the piano keyboard - a great start! “The Color of Love” is much quieter, expressing a deeper sense of calm, contentment, and maybe a touch of wonder - quite possibly Logozar’s most beautiful love song to date. “A Light is Born” is so delicate and tender that it seems almost fragile - gorgeous! “Shimmer” picks the tempo back up in somewhat darker tones - I can’t wait for the sheet music! “Before the Dawn” beautifully expresses the hushed feeling of the early-morning hours, gradually becoming brighter and more colorful as the piece evolves - I really like this one, too! On “Returning,” Logozar very effectively uses the dampers to create a spacious, atmospheric quality that almost sparkles. I’ve met Michael Logozar and know him to be a devoted husband and father, so it is no wonder that “Devotion” expresses such deep, passionate emotion with grace and sincerity. “Reverie” has the soft, fluid quality of an enchanting daydream - also a favorite. As I listen to “Clearing Skies,” the sun is pushing away the rainclouds that doused us earlier this morning - a perfect pairing of music and life on the Oregon Coast! “Springtime” ends this wonderful album with a piece that expresses the lightness, freshness and rebirth of nature that come with spring - a beautiful ending to a great album!