Album Notes

Pianist and composer Stephanie Varozza is a San Francisco Bay Area artist whose original work has been described as “the jazz that Beethoven and Liszt would be playing if they were alive today.”

CRITICAL COMMENTS:

“Varozza is a formidable talent, a dazzling performer, whose original material throbs and pulses with exciting rhythms and motifs. It’s a kind of jazz ⎯ but an unimprovised jazz that only a top-flight classical performer and composer could develop.” - Pacifica Tribune

“Classically trained, Varozza has ventured into the jazz arena with a unique kind of music that packs a powerful punch. Her strong, sophisticated style is characterized by a gorgeous lyricism, a dazzling technique, intricate, agile passagework, and vigorous, strangely (and appealingly) tactile rhythms.”
- East Bay Express

“a delightful fusion of classical and jazz styles” - Trinity Chamber Concerts


LINER NOTES:

Fire & Grace (18:12): This piece comes from a passion for life and all that comes with that passion. It evokes a fiery temperament and a graceful spirit. Intensity, courage, strength. Fire can be the inner power we use to get through the trials and tribulations of life and the heat and intensity of those trials that forges our strength. Grace is the balancing element of the quiet times, of serenity and contemplation, and also the joyfulness, and playfulness that is part of being alive. In the structure of the piece, there are musical themes that come back, but are never identical to their first appearance.

Soliloquy (3:50): One of the definitions of this word is talking to yourself while alone, or, as in a play, to the audience with the illusion of unspoken thoughts. This piece picks up both of those definitions. Not daydreaming, rather, musing. Thinking about things that are going on in your life.

In the Sorrow, Solace (6:23): This piece has to do with those times when a person feels sorrow and yet still manages to find solace. For me, solace was playing the piano, being in nature, being with animals. For other people, it may be sitting at the beach or under a tree, or weeping, or meditation. It’s where you find comfort when you feel sadness.

Song For A Child (9:25): This piece is dedicated to my six “kids.” I was inspired by my love for my nephews and nieces, inspired from my childhood, from being a child and from being close to my six nieces and nephews and seeing them grow up. There’s a lot of love in this piece.

Chlöe’s Song (6:18) / Fantasy for Jambo (8:57): These two pieces captures the essence, spirit, and personality of these beloved little creatures. If you listen closely, you will hear Chlöe’s theme come back in shortened form and in a different key in Fantasy for Jambo.

If I Had But One Wish (3:53): Poses the question: if I had but one wish, what would I wish for? But only one wish, not three. All the sayings and stories that have “wish” in them come to mind – be careful what you wish for; if wishes were horses, beggars would ride; the magic genie with three wishes. There’s desire, longing, hesitance, and ambivalence.