Album Notes

Notes & Description:
Stephen Merriman composes soulful and spiritual keyboard compositions in the jazz and contemporary piano idioms. His goal is to make meaningful musical statements that can resonate with his listeners, both musically and psychologically.

Stephen's music is perfect for solitary contemplation, an intimate evening with a loved one, or a convivial gathering of friends. Play his new CD, MODAL SOUL: Keyboard Jazz & Contemporary Piano for Contemplation & Delight, and your friends will ask, "Hey, who's this?"

Influenced by Thelonious Monk and Erik Satie, Stephen brings his own distinctive style to jazz-based contemporary piano. A veteran of the Boston and New York jazz and studio scenes of the '60s and '70s, Stephen is sharing his music with the rest of us after working nearly thirty years as a psychotherapist. The passage of time has only enriched his musical sensibilities; his music is sheer delight.

Bio (short version):
Stephen Merriman survived his twenties (mid-1960s to mid-1970s). In those years he played out as a jazz pianist, giving concerts on the college circuit, and worked on studio sessions in Boston and New York.

Returning to school in his thirties, he made up for "lost" time and got educated beyond his intelligence (eventually resulting in a Ph.D. in psychology). He has had a psychotherapy practice for nearly three decades. His love of the keyboard, and for composing, however, was never too far beneath the surface.

Over the past few years, opportunities have come along to play out once again. Hence his CD: MODAL SOUL. Stephen's music draws on sensibilities ripened over a long career. Enjoy!