What a great CD!  Every tune is a delight to listen to.  Julie plays with such great interpretation and passion.  She is a fantastic composer and musician.  A superb CD!!!
                            Read more...
                        

                            
Undeniably successful! ...a romantically relaxing journey drawing on elements of classical, jazz, and romantic improvisational piano technique.
                            Read more...
                        

                            
                           Pianist Julie Rivers is an incredible find! Playing since the
                           age of two, she won all the awards offered to pianists by
                           the School of Music at The University of North Texas,
                           where she graduated with high honors. With some of the
                           best chops in the genre, Julie seems completely at home
                           in the classical traditions as well as with jazz and blues.
                           An avid astronomer, the pieces tell the story of the hours
                           and moods of "One Starry Night" to the dawn of the next
                           day. The styles are varied, exhibiting Ms Rivers' versatility
                           as a musician and composer. Randy Wills provides
                           synthesized orchestrations, and Bob Bowman appears on
                           several pieces on bass. Several other musicians join Julie
                           on "Midnight Blue (Nocturne)", and Lars Peter Larsen
                           plays a mean Spanish guitar on "Senorita de la Noche
                           Estrellada". 

                           My favorite track on this outstanding album is "Midnight
                           Blue (Nocturne)", a slinky bit of jazz ensemble playing.
                           The "band's" parts were composed by Frank Mantooth,
                           a noted arranger and musician, and a former college
                           classmate of Julie's. The album opens with "Meridian
                           Crossing", a piece that reminds me of some of Suzanne
                           Ciani's earlier work. Full of optimism and hope, it soars
                           to the heavens. "Sunflower Fields" is also full of warmth
                           and joy. "Aphrodite" shimmers as the Greek goddess of
                           love leads a flirtatious chase through the twinkling stars.
                           "Star Pool" is much more free-form and ambient,
                           reminding me just a little of Clara Ponty's work. The
                           piano dances and swirls on a backdrop of synth voices
                           and floating instrumental color - a very effective and
                           beautiful piece. "Senorita de la Noche Estrellada" is a bit
                           of a surprise with traditional Spanish rhythms and
                           phrasings. "Soul Thoughts" is a dark and bluesy piano
                           solo - great stuff! "Spheres and Seraphs" could only have
                           been composed by someone who has played lots of
                           Mozart and Haydn. A lighthearted romp, it goes from a
                           bouncy Classical era-styled theme to a sweet orchestral
                           variation on the theme to a thumping rock version and
                           back to a chamber group. Very upbeat and lots of fun,
                           this piece is bound to bring a smile! 

                           Classy as well as classic, "One Starry Night" will beg to
                           be listened to over and over again. I can't wait to see
                           what Julie Rivers has up her sleeve for her next album!
                            Read more...