From the liner notes of "Pieces of Peace":
“Resolution comes from remaining still on the inside when the outside is anything but. Only from here can one look around and see pieces of peace in other places. Can arriving full circle come simply? Simply, but not easily—it requires grace under pressure (experienced as a turbulent calm). Straight and narrow is often also the spiral way that eventually finds its way down to the foundation, where stillness is absolute. This is the true “chill pill” that, if taken, transports to the deep blue and reveals the Masterpeace.”
This statement includes the title of every track on "Pieces of Peace", which are explained in more detail here:
Track One: “Resolution”, the first solo piano piece, opens the CD with a simple, yet passionate statement about the desired end of all our conflict—resolution.
Track Two: “Still on the Inside”, incorporating two pianos and a gentle contemporary jazz treatment, expresses the confidence of knowing you are at peace with yourself.
Track Three: “Look Around” means there are good things around you, if you’re willing to look and see. This “theme and variations” piano piece mirrors that thought by moving from one place to another.
Track Four: “Full Circle” again sets the piano in front of a contemporary jazz backdrop, and it’s about gaining a more mature perspective—those times when you know you’ve been here before, but because of what you’ve experienced since then, it’s different this time.
Track Five: “Simply?” has the beginnings of a simple, maybe even predictable solo piece, but then goes places you might not expect—much like our own journey toward resolution. “Simply, but not easily.”
Track Six: “Grace Under Pressure (Turbulent Calm)” is the CDs first move toward a darker sound, with percussion, synth layers and a minor tonality; it is presenting the paradox and challenge of maintaining inner peace when anxiety is right there to challenge it.
Track Seven: “The Spiral Way” continues the darker minor sound and presses it downward with a continuously descending chord progression. The paradox here is that the downward movement is not leading to despair, but a deeper level of resolution.
Track Eight: “Chill Pill” is a lighthearted, ironic twist, bringing in influences of blues, jazz, and trip-hop to elevate the mood just a bit—not too much, though! This relaxed, groovy piece completes and resolves the “darker” trilogy of tracks 6-8, making room for the two final solo tracks.
Track Nine: “Deep Blue” ventures out into the expanse of space and freedom that is found in true peace.
Track Ten: “Masterpeace, Part 1” broadens the experience of peace and freedom to a much larger extent, developing an extended, unedited solo piano improvisation that lasts over twelve minutes, allowing plenty of space to breathe, rest, and enjoy.
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