Rick Wakeman
★★★
Melancholia
MADFISH. CD/DL/LP
Piano maestro gets the (light) blues.
He may be known as the keyboard king of the concept album but plenty of Rick Wakeman’s 100-plus releases have never ventured close to the proggy edge. This is one such, a solo piano suite where the spirit of Debussy meets the soft arpeggios of Ludovico Einaudi. The 12 pieces are Wakeman at his most introspective, conjuring up his idea of melancholia through the Steinway keys. Sitting At The Window sets the tone, floating dreamily as a delicate melody wanders hither and thither. Dances With Ghosts could be the germ of a Billy Joel song while Alone sounds like an early try-out for Pachelbel’s famed Canon. Tunes enter one ear, vibrate gently and shimmer out of the other. It’s a reminder that ever since the pianist rippled through Morning Has Broken back in 1971, gentle rumination is as much a part of the Wakeman playbook as prog bangers.