THE PIANO MAN AT HIS BEST

Rick Waksman returns with a sumptuous, fabulous album showcasing his supreme keyboard skills. His interpretations of 15 well-known songs are delightful in the extreme; this is an uplifting collection, with Wakeman clearly relishing the opportunity to tackle such wonderful tunes. Each and every track is a winner, and it is brilliant to hear these songs performed in a totally different style. You might not think, for example, that “Help!” would lend itself to this piano-led performance… but it does. Elsewhere, “Morning Has Broken” is simply beautiful, “Wondrous Stories” is better than Yes’ original, and “Eleanor Right” is a thing of beauty. Whether you are a lover of pop or classical music – or indeed any other genre – this album is worth listening to. I cannot recommend it highly enough. 2017 already has a contender for album of the year.