“Angels’ Playground”, David Berriman’s debut CD, is a delightful collection of sunny, upbeat piano solos.  Nine pieces are original, and the three covers are Floyd Cramer’s classic “Last Date” and “Fancy Pants”, and John Barry’s “Somewhere in Time”. Ranging from sweet ballads (“A Mother’s Love”, “Whenever You Smile”, “Au Revoir, My Friend”) to uptempo boogie/ragtime pieces (“Cloud 9 Boogie” and “Fancy Pants”), Berriman demonstrates his versatility in composing and playing styles. The slower pieces are emotionally touching and heartfelt, and the faster ones are full of fun, so this is a varied listening experience even though the compositions are all optimistic and warm. My favorite tracks are “Cloud 9 Boogie” and “Fancy Pants” - the fun of playing these two songs comes across really well and makes me smile each time. I also really like “Au Revoir, My Friend”, a sentimental so-long that is almost conversational - very beautiful. The title song is a gentle frolic based on a piece Berriman composed when he was sixteen - also very enjoyable. “Early Bird Melody” is a jazzy tune that is a catchy toe-tapper and feels like it would be fun to play. “Last Date” has been a favorite song since I was a kid, so it was fun to hear it again - this time as a solo. This is a pretty straight-forward arrangement, so there are no surprises. “Birth of a Galaxy” is interesting, but sounds kind of like an advanced warm-up exercise. “Somewhere In Time” seems a bit out of place on this CD. Berriman’s arrangement is very nice, but it just doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the music. Overall, this is a very pleasant and entertaining CD.
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