 Sweet
Dreams & Starlight
(2004)
Sweet
music written to express the life-changing
magic of fatherhood, Sweet Dreams
& Starlight has a strong sense of wonder and captures the joy of discovery,
both from the perspective as a child as well as that
of an adult. As a result, this really isn’t a children’s album
per sé, but
an
expression of humanity that anyone can relate to.
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Preview Music from Sweet Dreams & Starlight:
1-2 minute clips from each song on the album...
CD
Reviews:
"What a wonderfully rich piano recording
this is! It's really one of the better solo piano albums I've heard in a while,
and one that gets better and better each time I listen to it. You'd expect a CD
with the title Sweet Dreams & Starlight to be sappy,
saccharine-coated, and laid back in the extreme. While there is no denying that
this is a "nighttime" CD (best enjoyed in the "wee hours"), you'll be surprised
at the complexity, the depth of emotion, and the myriad of styles on this
sophisticated offering from David Nevue (this is his seventh release).
There are more than a few moments where
you may hear classical influences at work, but there are also subtle moments of
jazz and, of course, plenty of mellow new age melodicism, too. I just love the
opening title track which has a "dark" side to it, but not dark in a menacing
way, more in a rich and nuanced fashion, where Nevue walks the line between
wistfulness and romanticism. Nicely done! "Eden Again" is "spot on" loveliness,
soflty playful and gentle even as its rolling rhythm unwinds. The refrain is
particularly enjoyable on this song. The liner notes are lengthy and the
artist writes about everything from the CD's cover photo shoot to how fatherhood
has affected him and "Why starlight?" This glimpse into the inner workings of a
sensitive and caring artist go a long ways to increasing one's enjoyment of the
songs on Sweet Dreams & Starlight, or at least they had that effect
on me. You also have to give bonus points to
Nevue because he actually covers "Happy Together" (yes, that "Happy
Together" by The Turtles) and talk about re-envisioning a piece of music! You
will recognize it, but you won't believe it, especially the chorus!
It's Nevue's more introspective pieces
that affected me deepest, though, such as "Ursa Minor" which is sparse and
minimal yet suffused with delicate beauty. "Across the Velvet Sea" is,
surprisingly, somewhat morose and somber, even though it's also slightly
uptempo, mostly owing to the lower register work that Nevue does at times.
"Goodnight Moon" closes the album out in fine fashion, being one of the more
sedate pieces here, yet still containing a flowing sense of movement and melody.
This is really what Nevue is all about,
i.e. uniting a strong sense of musicality with the nuance and complexity that
one usually hears in more minimal piano music. I also heard this on Postcards
from Germany, one of his earlier releases. It's what distinguishes him from some
of the other players in this gerne. Sweet Dreams & Starlight will
charm you and surprise you, as it did me, with its subtle sense of daring and
also its instant approachability. It's one of the better recordings in this
often over-exposed genre (new age solo piano music) in recent years and I highly
recommend it to fans of this type of music."
- Review
by Bill Binkelman, Wind and Wire Magazine
“Sweet Dreams and Starlight” by David Nevue is the eighth release
from
an artist who seems to keep getting better all the time. Nevue’s
albums
have themes about things going on in his life at various times, and
this one celebrates becoming a father after many years of not being
sure if he wanted to take that step. Nevue states in the liner notes
that he made this recording because he wanted to give his children an
album they could call their own. I expected something very light and
playful, perhaps including some lullabies; it is so much more than
that. The pieces are very gentle, but the emotional depth is amazing.
Many of the pieces have a strong sense of wonder, and it seems that
they capture the joy of discovery as a child as well as the joy of
discovering new places within yourself you didn’t know existed as an
adult. As a result, this really isn’t a children’s album at all, but
an
expression of humanity that anyone can relate to.
The fourteen tracks are all solo piano, and include ten original
pieces
and four delightful arrangements of favorite tunes. Nevue pays homage
to one of his early influences, George Winston, in the title track.
The
opening melody is simple and heartfelt, beginning in the upper
registers of the piano, much like a music box. He repeats the melody,
fleshing it out, and brings in a middle section that sounds very much
like a Winston passage; a reprise of the melody closes the song with
a
sigh. A great beginning, and one of Nevue’s best pieces ever. His
arrangement of “Greensleeves” is sweet and simple, with a wonderful
gentle flow. “The Moment Everything Changed” is almost a lullaby -
very
quiet, with a sense of wonder. “Jesus Loves Me” is truly a classic
children’s hymn, and Nevue’s theme and variations approach to it is
lovely, keeping it warm and childlike. “Song For Noelle” is a
charming,
tender ballad for Nevue’s daughter. Quiet enough to be a lullaby, the
loving emotions flow through. One of the surprises is a great
arrangement of The Turtles’ “Happy Together.” Nevue gives it a
semi-classical approach that works really well. I’ve always loved
this
song, and Nevue’s version made me realize how strong it is musically.
In the liner notes, Nevue writes about how much he loved looking at
the
stars as a child and how, as he got older, he got too busy to
remember
to do so. One of the first words his son Nathan learned was “star,” and his
discovery of a starry sky has brought ”Daddy” full-circle to loving
to
look up again; “Ursa Minor” has a gentle, twinkling quality that
describes a night sky. My favorite track is “Taking Flight,” which
has
a graceful, rolling left hand that gives it momentum, and a melody
that
suggests excitement and anticipation. I hope this will be available
in
sheet music soon! “Across the Velvet Sea” is kind of a dark, dreamy
waltz. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” is another theme and
variations,
and is totally charming in its innocence and wonder. “The Face of the
Deep” is a bit more mysterious, but is tranquil and calm.
“Sweet Dreams and Starlight” is one of my favorite albums so far this
year. Very
highly recommended!
-
Review
by
Kathy Parsons, Solo Piano Publications
In Your
Dreams
The title of this solo piano album
leads you think that it is an album of lullabies and dreams and it is. For both
adults and children. Listen to this music for a just little while and you begin
to dream. In your mind’s eye you might see the twinkling of stars and the
glimmer of moonbeams. You might hear the musical laughter of a child. Be
careful! It may be coming from inside. Sweet Dreams &
Starlight is
number eight for self-taught pianist, composer, and music promoter David Nevue. His music has topped the
charts more than once and he is heard often on radio stations around the globe
and on the internet. He is the creator of Whisperings: Solo Piano Radio heard on
the net as well. The title tune Sweet Dreams & Starlight is a
beautiful opening that sprinkles star dust and sugar plums on anyone’s dreams,
child or not. The music is as light as the sound
of the falling snow that accumulates on your eyelashes. It is crystalline, it is
beautiful and it tickles. Eden Again is my favorite cut on Sweet
Dreams & Starlight. No matter how many times I play the album, I keep coming
back to this beautifully pensive tune. I wondered how you could find Eden twice
in a lifetime when many fail to find heaven on earth even once. Then I realize
that David is giving grace for his two children. Sometimes parents prayers do
get answered. A soft and simple tune, The Gift, is a thank you to the one you
love. You give so much every day and in ways that many would not realize is a
true gift. The smile, the touch, the knowing without talking kind of gifts that
are shared by few and wanted by all. One of the songs on the album had
such a familiarity that I was startled when I realized that David covered an old
rock ’n roll song by the Turtles called Happy Together. It is not a song that
is played much except in raucous TV commercials. I liked it for the memories it
provoked and the unique treatment produced by his solo piano. Across the Velvet Sea is a tune with a
balancing act between moody and lighter moments. The tune has a good flow even
though it is a bit daring, just like a voyage across an unknown ocean.
The Face of the
Deep is a thought
provoking tune that makes you wonder what David was doing when the idea first
introduced itself. The tune ranges from sad to moody, but it is never morose.
The title suggests to me someone floundering and sinking in vast ocean. A moment
when all hope is lost. And then you see the “face of the
deep”. Finally, the cut Goodnight Moon closes the album.
Imagine sitting on the back porch on a cold winter’s night, staring up at the
sky as the moon beams down an eerie, but beautiful light that turns the snow a
pale blue color. And just for a second you can see a smile on the face of the
old man in the moon. A perfect ending to the day. David Nevue’s music is for quiet
nights by the fire. Or times when you are reading to the kids. Or for watching
for falling stars. Play the music David. Nathan and Noelle want to hear it
again. And so do I. Rating: Very
Good.
- Review
by
R J Lannan, NewAgeReporter.com
"I am a keeper of late night vigils. When our half of the world sleeps, my spirit
tends to yearn, quite often with a piano nudging my creative inspirations along.
"Sweet Dreams and Starlight" made last night's ride into the mystery of
windswept imaginings more beautiful than ever." - Jim in Dallas, TX
"I
recently bought a CD alarm clock and set it to wake me up to "Sweet Dreams and
Starlight." This morning my oldest daughter (age 6) came in my room a few
minutes after the alarm went off and the CD began. She said to me "Mama, I
wondered where the music was coming from....it sounds like there's angels in the
house!" - Holly Peitsch, Rhinelander WI
Sheet Music
for David Nevue's works available here!
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