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Chris Nole’s originality as an artist continues to escalate with his latest release and first vocal record Little Rum Boogie (Sound Works Music Group, Inc., 2006). Little Rum Boogie is Nole’s music on an entirely new level that will not leave you disappointed. I was instantly drawn to Nole’s ruggedly incomparable vocal sound that is integrated with a distinctive blend of blues, jazz, soul, and ballads that define the style of this record. This combined with the right songwriting ingredients cook up the red-hot result of Little Rum Boogie. The music takes you on a journey through life’s ups and downs, and the record is structured the same way. The tracks are arranged to bring to light universal changes in one’s life, alternating from songs that bring to mind that it is okay not to take life so seriously (“Little Rum Boogie,” “Down Home Time,” “Foo Foo Food,” “Can’t Take It With You When You Go”) to those that give you the freedom to feel the bumps in the road (“Slow Road,” “Tears Tell on You,” “Saint Christopher and Me”). The songs have a deep simplicity that take you through the growth and progress of what life is about with the honest sentiment you are both on the same ride. It is exciting to hear Nole venture beyond his instrumental recordings to confirm what he can do as a songwriter. He is definitely one to pay attention to.

I have to be honest. I wasn’t going to review this album. It’s just that I have this thing about covers. I remember music the way I first heard it and I don’t want any other variations spoiling my memories. But fair is fair and I put the CD in the player and I was… spellbound. The simplistic beauty of Chris Nole’s solo piano and the memory of John Denver’s music took me back to when life was different for me. I am a child of the 60’s. I grew up, but then childhood stays with you forever and so does the music. So this is the review. Pianist Chris Nole presents us with Fly Away, an album of solo piano performances of Folk/Country star John Denver’s most notable songs. It is the songs we sing without thinking when our memory is jangled by any familiar line. It is the songs we sing loud in the back seat of the car with the radio on and the music we hum as we walk through the aisles of any chain store. Leaving On A Jet Plane is one of those exceptional songs you remember your whole life. I can remember exactly what I was doing when I heard it the first time. I was riding to Logan Airport to fly away to my new life in Hawaii. It was as if my whole life started over on that very day. Nole’s poignant rendition stir emotions buried deep within you that you thought you had forgotten. Come let me love you, let me give my life to you Let me drown in your laughter, let me die in your arms Let me lay down beside you, let me always be with you Come let me love you, come love me again. The lyrics are from Annie’s Song. If there are more romantic words written, then I haven’t read them yet. Your kids might call it corny – until they have loved the way you do. Denver’s lyrics are lost on non-romantics, but that’s okay. There’s another generation on the way. It is gently, but beautifully rendered by Nole’s contemplative piano. East of Sacramento, California in the Eldorado National Forest is Woods Lake. The trails are inaccessible now because of the early snows, but the ever present beauty can still be admired in Denver’s song, Woods Lake. Denver’s philanthropy is evident by the many causes he took up with his voice and his resources. His life and love of nature is reflected in his music and his lyrics. Take Me Home, Country Roads is his folksy tribute to the Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia and the lifestyle that slows down one’s soul there. While Denver’s words carve out a straight and sharp observation on life, Nole’s placid piano smoothes and softens the edges. From the album The Best of John Denver is the song For You. It is without a doubt the most melancholy piece on the album. Nole’s offering tears your heart out with his emotional version. The music falls on your ears like a tender rain. Finally, Poems, Prayers and Promises, one of Denver’s Platinum garnering albums produced the title track, Poems, Prayers and Promises that sold countless numbers of single recordings. The piano version is as sweet and sad as it should be and holds up well even without the lyrics. Don’t worry; your heart will supply the words. Chris Nole grew up in New Jersey, a far stretch from the Colorado mountains he keeps in our memories. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee in ’87 and that’s where he got the call. John Denver needed a pianist for his Asian tour. The rest is musical history. Fly Away will be a part of it. For four years Chris Nole played piano behind John Denver. He learned quickly that John was “for real”. Denver’s philosophies and his positive, caring outlook on life were genuine. Chris Nole’s tribute to his friend is caring and genuine. This CD has taught me a lesson. I’ll never judge an album by its “covers” again.