Excellent Debut
S. Ellis | Overland Park, Kansas United States | 12/05/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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."
Groovy jazz rock
Chicago Fan | Chicago, IL | 06/06/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1