Piano Songs shows what makes up current jazz in Germany: melodies free of cliches and exciting grooves, moving between classical and modern music without fearing contact. Julia Hulsmann ranks among the best-known German jazz pianists and has released several CDs. The newly composed Piano Songs are her first sheet music edition.

Music from the official Celeste Piano Collections, composed by Lena Raine, arranged and performed by Trevor Alan Gomes, and engraved by David Peacock.

Digital album available on bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify, and elsewhere. Limited edition CDs and vinyl available. Also available as a physical book!

Capturing the echoed, persistent sound of the arpeggios in this tune was a particular joy. I find that the result is very satisfying and comfortable to play; the secret is taking your time and never letting the tempo feel too rushed, allowing the notes of each arpeggio to unfurl organically. The arrival of the groovier, backbeat-driven section keeps that sort of calm, collected feeling, even as the intensity is rising. Then the final section creates a false sense of security before launching into the ferocious opening of Awake!

Part of what makes the music of Celeste compelling is the high energy that so many of the tracks have. Lena is particularly skilled in creating rhythmically-saturated, high octane grooves. In this particular arrangement, the way I chose to capture that was through constant 16ths in the right hand, almost like a Chopin etude or Hanon exercise might have. While the bulk of this track is certain to keep you ?awake,? the ending brings the themes to a melancholy conclusion.