Love's River

Laura's outdone herself on this ethereal, dreamy recording. Accompanied by cello, English horn, oboe and guitar, Laura's delicate piano melodies are a soothing soundtrack to your day.

I discovered Laura Sullivan's Pianoscapes and Mystical America albums back in 2007 and knew I had come upon something extraordinarily special. Her inspiring and beautiful music has been a muse for me over the last few years as I would spend hours at a time studying, writing, dreaming, and creating my own business. And now her music fills my office each week. My clients are always commenting on how much they enjoy it. I was beyond excited about this newest release, Love's River. And it does not disappoint! Another treasure from a rare and true talent!

"Love’s River" is pianist/composer Laura Sullivan’s sixth release and the first since her 2008 album, "Close to Home." Sullivan certainly hasn’t been idle the past five years, as she wrote an excellent piano teaching method book for children and has been composing music for television and films in addition to raising her young daughter. Four of the pieces on "Love’s River" were produced by the legendary Will Ackerman (who also plays guitar on one track), and those four tracks also feature the stellar backing musicians from Ackerman’s Imaginary Road Studio, Eugene Friesen on cello and Jill Haley on English horn. Jeff Oster also appears on two tracks playing trumpet and flugel horn, and Nancy Rumbel appears on two playing English horn and oboe. The music on "Love’s River" is warm and inviting, soothing and uplifting, and should ensure Sullivan’s place in the upper echelons of contemporary pianists. "Love’s River" begins with “Secrets From the Deep,” a lilting waltz for piano and English horn (the wonderful Nancy Rumbel). The minor key gives it a mysterious feel, but it isn’t a dark or edgy piece. Actually, this is one of my favorite tracks - I love the swirling movement and bittersweet melody. “Wishing On a Dandelion” begins as a piano solo, with light bells and other orchestration added as the piece develops. Bright, cheerful, and carefree, I really like this one, too! “Blessed” is a lovely duet for piano and guitar (Ackerman). The sensitivity and gentle touch of the artists make this a blissfully peaceful piece. The title track is a trio for piano, English horn (Haley), and cello (Friesen). The gently flowing rhythm and lyrical melody make this a soothing delight. “Calligraphy” clocks in at just over eight minutes and conveys the freedom and spontaneity of an improvisation. This one also features Friesen and his cello in an elegant duet with the piano. The delicate and magical “Snowfall on Water” closes the album with another wonderful duet for piano and cello. As the piece evolves, it becomes more intense and then gradually tapers off to a whisper - a perfect ending to an exceptional album. Recommended!

I love it. One of her best!

Love’s River is Laura Sullivan’s 6th album and finds her in fine company with an all-star cast of accompanists, and four of the tracks being produced by Will Ackerman, the Grammy winning producer and founder of Windham Hill Records, as well as production by Eric Sullivan. Her graceful piano style, tinged with elements of contemporary classical music, has been compared favorably with Liz Story and Suzanne Ciani. In addition to piano, Laura also adds additional orchestrations. The album begins on an elegant note with the familiar 1-2-3, 1-2-3 cadence of the classic waltz, on a track entitled “Secrets from the Deep.” Laura is soon joined in the dance by Grammy winning artist Nancy Rumbel, who weaves sonorous oboe melodies around Laura’s piano artistry. As the piece progresses Nancy also adds tastefully subtle accents on English horn as well. This is followed by a light-hearted tune called “Wishing on a Dandelion. Left hand arpeggios create structure for the right hand to play off of as gentle orchestration lifts the piece to the wind. Another award winning musician and frequent Ackerman collaborator, Jeff Oster, adds soulful trumpet and flugelhorn on “Awakening to Love. While Will Ackerman played a role as a producer on this project, as he has on countless others in recent years, he also lends his formidable talent as an acoustic guitarist on a track called “Blessed.” This piece is a quiet introspective ballad that is superbly complimented by his graceful touch on the nylon string guitar. Will calls Laura’s compositions “breathtaking and lovely; accessible and yet challenging.” ” Love’s River by Laura Sullivan is an emotional and soul touching listening experience and is a wonderful start to the new year.

If you are a true lover of Piano and Laura Sullivan, this is a MUST HAVE! The emotion that comes through in the music takes you to that Special Place, if only for a little while. I Highly reccommend this album.

This is another beautiful album from Laura Sullivan. If this is the first time you have ever heard her music then make sure to check out her other albums. Mystical America and her Pianoscapes album are two you have to check out. I look forward to more from Laura in the future. Such talent!!!!