Customer Reviews

Emerging

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Anyone familiar with Sam Stryke's first album, "In the Wind" (Atlantic Records), knows that he has a talent for evocative instrumental music, whether it is the sultry "Summer Night," the testosterone-injected "Race," or the often-requested "Winter"--I've been a fan since the early 90s. In "Emerging," Sam's sound is familiar, but it has evolved into something more organic. The notable exceptions are a Wurlitzer electric piano and electric guitar, but the point is not so much that they are not acoustic as that they are not synthesizers or samplers. Even the violins are played by real players, something that is becoming increasingly rare.

When I try to define this album by musical genre, I end up caught between new age or adult contemporary and smooth jazz. Some of the tunes, like Sam's first album, do seem resonant with new age/ac like the title track "Emerging" and "Unraveled," and others seem to fit with smooth jazz like "You and Me" and "While I Wonder." But others, like "Words You Meant to Say" with its Santana-like guitar melody played by Sandy Torano or the rich "Brown Butterfly" with Sam on the vintage Wurlitzer piano sound more like alternative rock without a singer. A friend says "Lullaby" is his favorite, but my favorites are the dark jazzy "Not For Me to Know," "Words You Meant to Say" and "Brown Butterfly." In any case, Sam's music has a sweet melancholia, and I think this is what invites people to listen in an introspective mood.

For those of you who enjoy Jim Brickman, you will love Sam Stryke. This album covers a range of moods, all grounded in Sam's excellence as a pianist. I highly recommend this album to anyone who likes to sit back, alone or with a loved one, and let the music take them away.

I just got my Sam Stryke Emerging cd and love it. I am not an expert at all about music, I only know if I like something or not. I feel this music in my heart and it is so nice to listen to while cooking dinner and relaxing with my family.

love the music glad to see more of his work out there

Treat yourself to this album while watching a glorious sunset on a warm Spring evening, or while drinking a glass of good wine by the fire on a chilly night. That's how sensuous Stryke's music is.