Well scary never sounded so good, and by scary I mean the blue floodlight portrait of Bryant on the cover of Imaginary Piano. I think if you saw Bryant walking down the street you might nod your head and say ‘Hello’ to him, but this CD cover looks like something out of a Bella Lugosi Dracula classic, as he appears on all accounts to look like that dark menacing stranger you are drawn to against your will. Don’t be put off by this melodramatic cover; the content is substantially worth listening to.



A native of New England, Bryant has brought forth his sixth inspiration of ebony and ivory pairings. The music is intense and, much like the liner notes suggest, filled with piano playing from multiple backgrounds: classical, jazz, and rock. What is so delightful about Bryant’s playing is his professional intensity. When you hear jazz pieces, it sounds as though Bryant has spent a lifetime pounding the piano at some ‘old school’ piano bar in New Orleans, and when he switches to the classical persuasion, it sounds like he’s gently tapped at each note his entire career. Bryant’s ability to immerse himself in a musical style shows a high level of skill on his part.



A clear standout amidst a strong collection of tracks that could be performed at Carnegie Hall, or notorious Jazz bars, or the Acropolis one starry night, is the classical piece “Time Moves”. A gentle and melodious piece that had me hitting repeat, well, repeatedly actually. Imaginary Piano has me intrigued enough to seek out the previous five releases by Bryant. This album is well worth listening to for classic styles with Bryant’s unique twist.



Suite #5

Will You Have Me Now

Imaginary Piano

21st Century Waltz

Bye Bye Now!

Last Night In Paris

Simply Happy

Time Moves

Flipside

Deliberate Love