Industry Reviews...

"Open Sky" is pianist Nevue's eagerly awaited new album consisting largely of original compositions. It was well worth the wait, because the 17 (!!) tracks on this album are uniformly beautiful. What has always set Nevue apart from other contemporary pianists is his strong sense of melody and the way he develops themes musically. Unlike much of the usual new age blandness, Nevue's works have melodies that haunt you long after you have finished listening to the album. His pieces range from those conveying sheer delight in tone to quieter, sadder pieces. "Forgotten Places," for example, conveys a brooding mysteriousness reminiscent of his earlier work on "Overcome." "Echo Canyon" starts simply but then repeats its theme with driving urgency, and "Undertow" possesses an ominous tone fitting well its name. Other tracks on the album, though, are more joyful, e.g. "Butterfly Dance," "Summer Rain," and "Stargazing." My favorite piece on the album is probably the title track, "Open Sky," which layers a delicate melody line over a gently swinging bass, leading to an eminently hummable chorus. The change in key near the end of the piece suggests the opening of possibilities as broad as the sky itself.

Included on the album are covers of four traditional songs, all arranged in his distinctive style. His "Scarborough Fair"--one of the strongest tracks on the album--is the best solo piano arrangement of the song I have ever heard, heart-achingly poignant and sweet, and considering how much that song is covered, that's saying quite a lot. I also particularly enjoyed how he added a bridge to "Morning Has Broken" that gave the piece a unique flare.

Pianists may be interested to hear that Nevue has accurate sheet music transcriptions of most of his earlier work available for purchase on his website (www.davidnevue.com) singly or in packages, and he will presumably be adding sheet music for these new pieces. His music ranges in difficulty from exceedingly easy (suitable for beginners with only a few months' experience) to exceedingly hard, and one section of his website ranks the pieces in terms of difficulty, so pianists of all levels will be able to find something they can play.

Nevue is one of my favorite composers for solo piano, and this album exceeds my already high expectations. If you like the music of George Winston, David Lanz, and Jim Brickman, I am confident you will like this album.

- reviewed by Monika Kern, on 5/23/2013

"Open Sky" is the much-anticipated fourteenth solo piano album from David Nevue, and I truly believe this is his best work to date. The seventeen tracks on this album were composed over a fairly long period of time and show a more dynamic and darker side of Nevue's composing style. His 2011 A Delicate Joy was a collection of light, joyful music and Open Sky goes into an entirely different direction. Not all of the pieces are dark or somber, though, so the album has an emotional balance. Four tracks are original cover arrangements and the other thirteen are original compositions. The CD also has an impressive booklet that includes extensive liner notes about the inspiration for each piece as well as photos by Nevue and his wife, Julie - a beautiful package! Some of the music on this album is more experimental than music Nevue has released in the past, and some of it has a more spontaneous, improvised feeling. Recorded at Joe Bongiorno's Piano Haven Studio, the piano sound is perfect - warm, rich, and soulful.

"Open Sky" begins with the title track, a piece about freedom, exploration, and the exhilaration that comes from seeing and experiencing new things. The rhythmic energy of this piece gives it a sense of movement and of having fun. I love Nevue's description of "The Sound of Sunshine": "a celebration of those `wide awake moments' when you feel truly alive, almost as if you were somehow standing a little closer to heaven." "Butterfly Dance" was inspired while watching a butterfly "dance" its way around the steaming mud pits in Yellowstone - very light and free. The classic hymn "For The Beauty of the Earth" is given a make-over that renders it fresh and revitalized. "Forgotten Places" came from a family exploration of abandoned churches and ghost towns in Eastern Oregon. Feelings of loss and nostalgia for what went before make this a haunting and stirring piece - a favorite. I also love the lively, but somewhat ominous "Undertow." Nevue's melancholy take on "Scarborough Fair" is my favorite arrangement of this song since Simon and Garfunkle's classic recording. "Distant Thunder" is quite different from anything Nevue has released to date. An improvisation from an earlier recording session, the piece is ambient and atmospheric rather than melodic and makes an excellent lead-in to what could become Nevue's new signature piece, "Twister." Dark and mysterious with an infectious, swirling left hand rhythm, I can't wait for the sheet music for this one! I get a little tired of "The Water Is Wide," but Nevue's simple, heartfelt take on the beautiful melody has made me appreciate it again. "Dark Afternoon" is my favorite track. Composed as part of a Passion Play, it represents Jesus' dark afternoon on the cross. Slow and spare, the notes sound easy enough, but the emotional impact is essential - gorgeous! "Echo Canyon" is dark and mysterious in a different way. The rhythmic left hand sets a tone that conveys a sense of majesty. "Eclipse" is a soulful and introspective piece inspired in part by an improvised duet with Joe Bongiorno - this one makes my fingers itch, too. Great stuff! Open Sky closes with Nevue's sweet and gentle arrangement of "Morning Has Broken."

Wow, what a great album! I give it my highest recommendation!

- reviewed by Kathy Parsons, for MainlyPiano.com, on 6/1/2013

For a pianist, having your music compared to the likes of George Winston, David Lanz, or Jim Brickman, can be a lot to live up to. For David Nevue, however, that accolade is not without merit. I've known of his music for years and have had the pleasure of writing about his previous release, "A Delicate Joy." Now, in 2013, David has recently released his "Open Sky" album, which he sees as one of his most diverse yet, including thirteen original compositions plus arrangements of "Scarborough Fair," "The Water is Wide," "For the Beauty of the Earth" and "Morning Has Broken." The first song on the album is the title track, which has a wonderful sense of lightheartedness and openness that drew me right in from the start. I liked the way David's left hand anchored the song with a repeating pattern while the right hand deftly explored the melodic terrain. This was an excellent choice for an opening track.

I loved the lightness and luminosity of a song called "The Sound of Sunshine," which David refers to as "a celebration of those "wide awake moments" when you feel truly alive, almost as if you were somehow standing a little closer to heaven." Its not surprising that there is an air of spirituality that comes through in David's music, being the person of deep and abiding faith that he is. While David sometimes reveals his abilities with brilliant and intricate compositions, his talent is also reflected in songs like "Butterfly Dance," whose brilliance lies in its simplicity and understatement. Another track, which I liked very much, was "Distant Thunder." What stood out to me about this one was the way that David emphasized the space between the notes and phrases, as much as the notes themselves, evoking the distance referenced in the song's title. In the expanding galaxy of solo piano artists, the combination of technique, feeling, and vision that David Nevue brings to his music illuminates him as one of the shining stars of the genre.

- reviewed by Michael Diamond, for Music and Media Focus on 8/13/2013

Each of the CDs by pianist David Nevue that I have reviewed has been solid, but this, his fourteenth release, is his best by far.

In his press release, Nevue says that his goal with this album was to create music that transcends the standard piano music genre. Nevue has accomplished this goal in spades.

Overall, the music on the disc doesn't sound like typical solo piano music. Without knowing Nevue's exact process, it sounds to me like he composed the music simply as music and used the piano to realize his compositions. The result is music that is haunting and evocative, a perfect soundtrack for nocturnal sojourns. I can see Nevue composing orchestral music or otherwise that doesn't have keyboards or synthesizers as the focus, if at all.

All of the seventeen tracks are exceptional, but three truly stand out - interpretations of the Simon & Garfunkel classic "Scarborough Fair" and the English hymn "Morning Has Broken" made popular by Cat Stevens, and the striking original "Summer Rain."

This is not simply piano music. It's music pure and simple, and good music at that.

- reviewed by Raj Manoharan for The RajMan Review on 11/24/2013

A Selection of Buyer Reviews posted at Amazon.com...

"This new collection of solo piano pieces has such amazing emotional depth and beauty. Even my teenage daughter who has QUITE different musical taste remarked how beautiful the music we were listening to was during a recent car ride together. My favorites from this latest collection are Forgotten Places, Dark Afternoon and Echo Canyon all of which convey a somewhat haunting and melancholy feel to the listener. Clearly this latest collection contains some of the best musical compositions and overall solo piano performances of the past several years."

"David Nevue never disappoints. If you are a fan, you get what you expect: Really good music. If you've never listened to his work before but enjoy new age piano, you will become a fan very quickly. I have several of his cd's. In my house, in my car, on my computer, my kindle----you get the picture."

"I have bought a few of his CDs here at Amazon. First of all, I love his music, and I also buy his music sheets to learn to play it on the piano. Open Sky is the latest of my collection and I am playing it over and over and over again. It has nothing to do with the technology of the CD, it has everything to do with David's music and it is amazing!"

"I just discovered David's music and I'm in love. It speaks to my soul. Thank you for sharing your beautiful gift."

More Customer Reviews of this album at Amazon.com.