Cory Reese Presents New Christmas Piano CD
By Sam Payne, the Independent

The scrapbook page of Cory Reese's Web site is a lineup of the luminaries of instrumental music. There he is in one photo with his arm around George Winston. There he is in another next to David Tolk, and in another next to Jackson Browne. And the thing is, Cory looks right at home next to them. Between Cory, his wife Melanie, and whatever world-class musician happens to be pictured, it's hard to tell where hometown Southern Utah ends and celebrity begins.

Perhaps those photos serve as an apt metaphor for the music Cory's been making lately. He has an album or two to his credit already. His first, "Moment of Peace," Cory calls a "musical autobiography." The birth of his first child is there. Likewise the death of his father; each moment captured with sincerity and maturity. Joining "Moment of Peace" in the Cory Reese discography is "Heart to Heart: Instrumental and Solo Piano," as well as a live recording of Cory's celebrated Spiral Studios concert early this year.

And now, just in time for Christmas, "Silent Night: Instrumental Music for the Christmas Season" joins the lineup of impressive Cory Reese recordings. The album boasts twelve tracks, including three original pieces composed especially for the album. The traditional tunes are realized with mellow originality, and listeners might find themselves immersed in Cory's sensitive piano textures and unobtrusive string orchestrations before ever realizing that they're listening to songs they've loved all their lives. Cory's original tunes, too, sit next to their classic traditional neighbors like they were born to be there.

Cory's music is all the more remarkable when you consider that Cory is a self-taught pianist. He grew up in Sandy, as he says, "much more interested in playing Sports than in sitting down at the piano. In fact, the family piano did more to collect dust than to fill the house with music." It wasn't until he was 18 that the music bug bit. That was awhile ago, of course, but two children and a Master's degree later, there hasn't been any turning back. Influenced by the music of George Winston, David Lanz, and Paul Cardall (all of whom he's met and shared music with. Heck, they're the guys on his website for cryin' out loud) Cory has developed a musical style that has been called "unique, touching, and melodic."

Record companies agree, apparently. After a while of being distributed by Salt Lake distributor Inspired Ideas, Cory has just signed a distribution deal with Granite Distribution. They'll make sure Cory's disc makes it to a store near you. So for now, pick up Cory's new "Silent Night" release and find yourself agreeing with David Lanz, who says that "Cory plays very personal music from the heart," or with Narada pianist Paul Cardall, who said of "Moment of Peace," "The one thing that stood out most to me is that among all the people who have shared their piano albums with me, Cory has the most professional touch and feeling in his performance. His sensitivity with each note and the use of dynamics is nearly perfect." In "Silent Night: Instrumental Music for the Christmas Season," Cory has home-crafted a Christmas album worth enjoying the holidays to, and even with a million Christmas discs in the world, it would be a shame not to make room for Cory's on the shelf.