Common Places

Album Review

Starr Parodi has crossed paths between the classical, pop/rock, modern contemporary composition, and chamber jazz worlds, as is easily heard on this solo piano recording. Her beautifully delicate and crystalline touch is a universally enjoyable sound that can reach the soul of most romantics or daydreamers. Listen to Common Places more than once, and you hear an assured confidence and peaceful serenity that rivals previous passionate piano troubadours like Bill Evans, Harold Budd, or Ralph Towner. It's that innate sense of perfection and purpose linked with an intriguing diversity that makes the music of Parodi quite listenable. She uses modal minimalist inventions with some liquid electronics on the opening title track, follows-up by digitally delaying Buffalo Springfield's evocative, pensive, original protest song morphed into a hopeful refrain on "For What It's Worth," and you are hooked. Then she returns to her classical training for the operatic baroque waltz "Albinoni Adagio," uses a light highlife motif for "Kenya," and moves up to a Chick Corea-like bright and bouncy original "Follow Me." The under cover-of-darkness motif "James Bond" is a neat interpretation of the movie spy theme, while "We Are Here" is clearly a love song. The last three selections on the CD lose momentum somewhat, turning reverent and somber ("Forgiveness,") or revenant but hopeful (John Lennon and Paul McCartney's "Let It Be"), while the finale, "Covenant," sports religious overtones. This is just about the prettiest piano project heard in recent years, and if it is within your taste level, will provide many bright moments of pleasurable listening. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide