In a post last week, I mentioned Jim Brickman — composer of new age solo piano music (as well as some pop music with vocals). His music is great to play when you are stressed out and just want to play something relaxing that doesn’t require as much concentration as classical music. =D I thought I’d share some of my favorites among his compositions.
I own two books of sheet music by Jim Brickman. I enjoy playing his music at weddings and dinners. It’s perfect for occasions when you need to play something more contemporary and less formal than classical music. It also mixes well with hymn arrangements.
- One of the books I own is: Jim Brickman / Piano Anthology
. This book is a great value for the money. Some of his books of sheet music include pop songs that have vocal lines (such as the popular Christmas song, “The Gift” ). If you want to avoid those and stick to mostly solo piano music, this book is a great option. A couple great pieces included in this book are, “Angel Eyes” and “Rocket to the Moon.”
- My favorite of the two books that I own is: The Songs of Jim Brickman for Easy Piano: Piano Solos
. These selections have been arranged by Dan Coates, and are a little touch easier to play — not to mention they are easier on the hands! Jim Brickman must have large hands, because he likes to include lots of tenths in his LH accompaniment figures. =) So if you have small hands, this book is preferable over his original arrangements. This includes my all-time favorite Jim Brickman tune, “Serenade.”
You can visit his site here, to get more information and hear some recordings. I noticed on his site that he also has available a few books I’ve never seen before, but look very interesting:
- Simply Jim Brickman Songbook — are all arranged by Dan Coates, and appears to be a better value than the one I mentioned above.
- The Best New Wedding Classics — includes many of the same ones I use at weddings — again, a great bang for your buck.
