Shelly Berg - The Nearness Of You (2009)

Shelly Berg: solo piano

"Shelly Berg's music is inherently relaxing. For one thing, unlike most virtuosos, he never uses his formidable technique to awe and distance his audience; his music is a warm embrace, as welcoming as it is personal. Ever striving to balance the intimate and the universal, as well as the strong and the sweet. Berg makes a point of drawing from his technical and spiritual "wells" at the same time... His splendid music also reminds us that, whatever else is happening, there will always be great love and beauty in the world —and there's never been a better time for that message than right now."

—Dr. Judith Schlesinger, senior writer, AllAboutJazz.com and author of Dangerous Joy: The Mad Musician and Other Creative Myths