Barry Walsh
Album: Silencio
Label: Scarlet Letter
Tracks: 12
Website: http://barrywalshmusic.com/

The name Barry Walsh has long been known among Gretchen Peters fans; he has been her pianist extraordinaire for more years than I would care to count; an integral part of her live performances.

His long awaited third solo piano album has been two years in the making,and follows his two earlier critically acclaimed releases; The Crossing (2007) and Paradiso (2011)

Few, it seems,know that Walsh's career began in the late 1970s as pianist for such revered names as Roy Orbison, Waylon Jennings (he actually features on a DVD out there!) and Alex Chilton's Box Tops. In Nashville, he has played with and for a huge catalogue of singers and songwriters; Olivia Newton-John, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and, of course, Gretchen Peters, to name but a few. 2014 has been a very busy year; touring, co-production on new releases by Gretchen Peters and the esteemed Tom Russell, and of course creating Silencio.

"The whole idea for this recording," Walsh eloquently reveals, "was to find the space between the notes." Listening to the CD, it is very apparent what he means; there is an overriding sense of calm, of peace, of space, which makes it a pleasure to experience. His inspiration for this collection, came from the work of Philip Glass, Craig Armstrong, Jann Tiersen and Dustin O Halloran.

I have remarked more than once in relation to this man's music that I never used to "get" music without lyrics. Without ever saying a word, simply letting his music speak for itself, he taught me to appreciate the depth and the magic of such music, how to let it tell its own story without any need for lyrics. That, in itself, is an incredible gift.

This was never more true than in this selection of pieces. Standouts for me include Paper Stars, Silencio, Prague (I was back there in my head) and The Ice Storm, though it is such a stunning collection it is hard to choose between them.

There is a section on his website explaining the pieces; I could tell you about them but I would rather let them tell you for themselves. If you need any help you can read about them at http://barrywalshmusic.com/blog/silencio/

This collection is, to me, the ultimate proof that we don't always need words Everyone who loves music needs to find that out, so this, I believe is one for everyone's collections. Pick up his earlier offerings whilst you're at it and cosy up on a cold winter's night.

It is also worth noting that you can see Barry Walsh on tour with Gretchen Peters in the UK in March 2015. Experience tells me there may be a little Walsh musical treat in store!

Helen Mitchell