This debut album is described as coming from the tradition of piano players who entertain in bars in Germany, and if they play and sing as on this collection, it sounds like fun. The songs would be suitable for your next party, with just enough more serious songs to keep up your interest. The Liberty Hotel actually used to be a state prison which has now become a well-designed hotel.
Grey bases his music on various piano styles such as smooth, jazz and pop, all illustrated on the album, which comprises eight original songs, co-written with writer Mick Evans and others, plus three other tracks. The musicians are from Southern Germany's music hub at Mannheim. Not many individual names are quoted in the notes for reviewers or on the website.
The song Ten Good Summers won the jazz/blues section of the UK songwriting contest of 2019. This is a thoughtful, feel-good song, asking for some happy summers in life, with the string orchestra added to the usual jazz mix of piano, bass and drums. A good track, but, for my money, the best song comes last. An unusual version of What A Wonderful World, with its variation of the tune, or its, unexpected chords, and piano comments after each line of the song.
In between we have a lively love song Tuesdays; The Joker, about a sad clown ('behind that lop-sided smile'); Liberty, a sort of advert for the hotel, up tempo, with lots of word-play on 'Liberty'. Then there is the slow skilled piano in the Beatles Blackbird, surely one of their best songs. I could list the others but it's enough to say that each song is performed in a light-toned voice which I'd guess has a tenor range, with lots of short piano solos.
A very satisfying listen. See
www.lorenzgrey.com
Ann Alex
Tuesdays; The Joker; Liberty;
Blackbird; Everybody; Ausgerechnet; Just How It Goes; Virginia Sinner; Ten
Grand Summers; I'll Tell You Master; What A Wonderful World.
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