Alex Peh | Attune
(Habitat Sounds Records)
New Paltz-based pianist and composer Alex Peh's new album, Attune, is the result of world travels and five years of study in global piano traditions. Selections include works by composers from Greece, Iran, and Myanmar, all performed in Peh's virtuoso style that has brought him to stages at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Banff, Aspen, and Tanglewood music festivals. Peh says the album tracks the history and sound of the piano as it moved eastward from Europe through the Balkans to central and southeast Asia. Peh's voicings and dynamics are the star of the show on this adventurous album boasting a wide range of moods and styles—from the galloping, ornate "Padetha" to the playful "O Hlan Nyee Lin," all unified by the meticulous care, intelligence, and emotion Peh brings to these works and to the keyboard. Recommended if you like solo piano recordings by Brad Mehldau, Christopher O'Riley, and Brian Eno. Peh will perform at SUNY New Paltz's Studley Theater on March 5 at 7:30pm.
