It’s unusual to come across an album credited to a composer and musician who plays not one note on said album. Such is the case with One Day in a Life, written by Bill Wren, who plays bass, guitar, and piano but does not perform at all on the CD.

However, this oddity does not get in the way of the enjoyment of this album. While it would have been nice to hear Wren display his instrumental abilities, it is certainly clear that he has quite an ear for striking compositions fusing a wide variety of eclectic styles.

The CD, which is arranged, conducted, and performed by Frank Ralls and his orchestra, is enjoyable from beginning to end. Most of the pieces feature acoustic guitar leads with acoustic guitar backings, which is not a surprise considering that the acoustic guitar is Wren’s instrument of choice and probably the instrument with which he composed most of the tunes. A couple of tracks feature acoustic guitar paired with cello. Horns, strings, and Northumbrian pipes also feature prominently throughout the album.

The two most memorable and outstanding songs on the CD are “Old Friend,” a buoyant, rollicking ballad anchored by acoustic rhythm guitar and a solid backbeat behind lead flutes, and “Nightfall,” which is pure smooth jazz heaven led by a sultry sax. This is easily the most complex and dynamic track on the album.

It’s nice to have another Texan musician/songwriter, in the vein of Michael Nesmith and Eric Johnson, whose tastes and influences extend far beyond the reach of the Lone Star State. As good as this CD is, though, it would be nice to hear Bill Wren make a more direct connection with his audience by playing on a future album, even if it’s only acoustic guitar backings and rhythms.
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“One Day In a Life” is the debut release from “Texas Songbird” Bill Wren. Warm, lush instrumental music casts a spell and creates a mood of contentment and well-being. It is interesting to note that Bill Wren composed all of the music on the album, but he is not one of the players. Some of the music is quite orchestrated and some is guitar and accompaniment. Strings (live and programmed), percussion, keyboards, voices, sax, and penny whistle combine with the guitars to tell evocative tales that are visual and often have a cinematic sweep. Focusing on the desire to move people with his music, Wren says,” I want to create music that moves the heart in a positive direction.” I would have to say that this music succeeds well in reaching that goal.

The title track begins the “Day.” In this guitar piece with gentle percussion and keyboard in the background, Sandy Williams creates a peaceful scenario with washes of soft pastel colors. “Day Break” - the first-place winner of The Indie International Songwriting Contest - is more orchestrated, but cello and guitar carry much of the lovely melody. Warm optimism gives this piece wings. “En Mai” is one of my favorites. A duet for cello and guitar with light percussion and keyboard, the mood is serene and a little wistful. “Betrayal” is somewhat darker, with Sandy Williams again making magic with his guitar. “The Way It Was” has a substantial yet intimate sound. The sweet tones of the penny whistle suggest a Celtic influence, and it is easy to imagine this music playing behind images of a vast countryside in simpler times. “I Will Waltz For You” is very much a slice of rural Americana and is again very cinematic and graceful. “Old Friend” is gently nostalgic but also passionate and elegantly beautiful. “Lovers Rendezvous” is quite different from the other tracks, but it is also my favorite. Tom Washatka’s haunting sax and Frank Ralls’ sensuous piano along with the percussion and ambient background sounds make this a powerful emotional experience. The final track, “Heart To Heart,” is mainly guitar and piano. Slow, graceful, and very tender, it’s a closing that will leave you wanting more!

“One Day In a Life” is an auspicious debut! Check it out!
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It’s pretty easy to get sidetracked from doing what we really want to do everyday, and a 25 year departure from songwriting was longer than what this musician had in mind, but his migration back to composing have many people moving to new heights.  Bill Wren is often referred to as the Rare Texas Songbird, in a declaration I thought appropriate having the surname Wren, yet it uniquely describes his musical aspirations and return flight to perfection.  First playing bass in a Rock band, Bill realized after one stellar show in front of a crowd gone wild audience, music was his final destination.  One day in a Life is his release already gathering attention, having many songs winding up #1 or in the Top 10 at SoundClick.com & Broadjam.com, with songwriting awards in Indie & International Song Writing Contests. Reading everything I could on Bill Wren, I also learned that lifelong friends played a major role leading to an early formation of his musical biography that endures even to this day.  One day in a Life is like a beautiful bird of paradise and where Bill Wren excels the most, in heartfelt compositions that exhibit the very essence for each characteristic style given by every performing musician on the album he calls a friend.   Wren states the album’s success is due in part to the arrangement and production work of Frank Ralls, along with musical assistance of Terry Winch & Ike Strum, with a host of vocalists and instrumentalists who together, have assembled a refined album with a right at home presence.  One day in a Life answers the call to  11  songs in New Age, Orchestration, Neo Classical, along with structured blends of Jazz, Blues, and Rock, building a comfortable resting place to display his versatile compositions.  The calm acoustic guitar strides heard in the title song characterize the overall attraction given to the entire album, giving a hint of the harmonious novelty waiting within each well rounded song.
Daybreak shows the smooth artistry of this album sporting a fragrant touch and vibrant flare, where rich orchestration plays the intermingled leading role while supporting soloist and softer vocals.  Much like En Mai, lavish cello entries appear to drift and sway in time to gentle winds and deep sentimental overtones, with an emphasis on instrumental soloists as the chosen method to hallmark every occasion in this album of versatility.  Ocean Breeze features acoustic guitar giving the arrangement a moderate tempo and under closer examination, exhibits a form of poetry in motion while gently transitioning to a more complex guitar rendition, making the move during nice orchestral balance and light percussion effects.  I Will Waltz For You, with it’s descriptive title, glides right into motion filled pirouettes in time to dance rhythms, while Lovers Rendezvous has a moderate tempo with saxophone and piano adding an impassioned rendition, contributing to a pleasing sense of atmosphere.  Setting the ambiance again is Heart to Heart, in singular key piano melody and Night Fall, where piano, saxophone, and soft vocals maintain the beautiful colors perceived in this albums theme.  The song Old Friend provides the forethought in this lighter flute melody backed by a full symphony of warmth and sincerity, and since everyone is great as an individual soloist on the album, it does help me summarize with certainty.  The qualities I discovered in One Day in a Life, do facilitate a level of relaxation one person can easily enjoy alone, morning, noon or night, but with such an engaging album like this one, is always best experienced in the company of good friends.
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If you were to wake up one morning with a song in your head and it stayed with you throughout the day as you went about your activities and interactions it would undoubtedly deviate to fit your mood.  If these variations stuck with you until the time you laid back down to bed that night, your mind would have played out a whole soundtrack perfectly composed just for you.

Whether it was composer Bill Wren’s intentions or not, he has woven together such a concept in his debut "One Day in a Life."   The title track sets the stage for an accessible musical formula that is carried throughout the album.  A lead instrument, which dictates the mood, is gently accompanied by arpeggiated strings (mainly acoustic guitar) and long sustained chords (mainly keyboards).  Wind chimes or rolled mallets on the suspended cymbal herald dramatic and transition sequences of the songs.

The first lead instrument in “One Day in a Life” is the acoustic guitar.  The quiet, unassuming timbre is appropriate for a melody heard at daybreak.  Other songs will feature the cello with its deep rich tones as the soloist in tracks such as “En Mai.”  Incidentally, all of the orchestral string work on the album is very well done.  In “Ocean Breeze” the classical guitar takes control of the melody and offers a different sound than the previously heard acoustic guitar work.  The classical guitar is more pointed and directed but is still quite pleasing to the ear.  

Towards the end of the album it takes on a completely new feeling with the garish leads of a jazz saxophone.  The wind instrument offers a sultrier and at times frantic sound compared to the tender strings as demonstrated in “Lovers Rendezvous.”  As the excitement of the saxophone ebbs, the closing track, “Heart to Heart,” features a soothing piano lead.  The melodies for all these songs are different, yet they all follow a similar pattern.

The most well structured songs on the album are “Day Break,” which features the cello and vocals flowing over the lush orchestration and “Old Friend,” with its upbeat tempo, percussive backbeat and keyboard flute interludes adding a sense of intrigue.

"One Day in a Life" is finely mixed and expertly produced.  There are no memorable melodies or knock out numbers, but instead is a delightful blend of movie score, New Age and a touch of smooth jazz.  It is an enjoyable nondescript listen and provides the perfect soundtrack for a day in the life of an ordinary happy soul.
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