Bill Laurance - Lumen (2025) [Hi-Res]

Lumen is the deeply personal and introspective new solo album by pianist and composer Bill Laurance. Recorded in the stillness of night inside an empty church, the album captures a rare and intimate moment of communion between artist, instrument, and space. Though not religious, Laurance describes the experience as almost spiritual—guided more by the music itself than by his own intention, as if he were merely a vessel.

At its heart, Lumen explores the delicate balance between composition and improvisation. Some pieces follow meticulously crafted scores, while others are entirely spontaneous, born in the moment. It’s in the space between these two worlds, Bill Laurance suggests, that the true magic of music lies.

Using both a Yamaha grand and a felted upright piano, he embarked on what felt like a solo retreat—searching not for complexity, but for simplicity and truth in sound. The result is an album of striking clarity and emotional depth, shaped by silence, vulnerability, and trust in the unknown.

But “Lumen” is only the beginning. Each performance—shaped by room acoustics, audience energy, even the artist’s state of mind—transforms the music anew. It’s this ever-evolving nature that continues to inspire Laurance, as he lets the music lead the way.

Bill Laurance
Yamaha CFX2 grand piano
Yamaha UX3 upright piano with felt