Concert: David Lanz

Keywords

David Lanz Concert Schedule

Chicago Gigs

David Lanz

Album

Songs

Video

Music

Background:

He remains America's best-loved contemporary new age recording artists. Seattle-born pianist David Lanz, had his roots in traditional jazz and rock 'n' roll, and he changed his style over a decade.

He is born in Born on June 28,1950. His musical journey dates back to the years when he started playing with the local rock bands and years after played blues and jazz songs in small smoky clubs. He subsequently "Stumbled" to a different path in 1980s.

"A friend of mine was leading a seminar on the energy centers of the body and wanted music to illustrate the flow of energy through these areas sometimes referred to as chakras," Lanz says. "I was also interested in the healing qualities of music and it's effect on body and soul, so I made a little tape of piano music for the seminar and just about everyone who heard it, to my utter surprise, wanted a copy!"

"There was no musical style quite like it in those days," he says. "And it certainly wasn't called New Age. I used the music I composed for this seminar as the basis for my first solo piano album for Narada, HEARTSOUNDS."

With HEARTSOUNDS, Narada Records came into a mainstream. This also pushed Lanz into a chart-topping career. The career which marks nine bestselling solo albums and three popular collaborations. NATURAL STATES, DESERT VISION and BRIDGE OF DREAMS.

His Solo Recordings include:

CRISTOFORI'S DREAM. This was the Number One hit on Billboard's first adult alternative/new age chart. It was at this position for 27 weeks and went on to sell platinum.

NIGHTFALL;

SKYLINE FIREDANCE - a two disc collection featuring the same songs done as piano solos and with orchestra;

RETURN TO THE HEART;

CHRISTMAS EVE;

BELOVED;

SACRED ROAD;

live recording AN EVENING WITH DAVID LANZ;

variety of "Best of" collections including The Ultimate David Lanz Narada Collection;

ROMANTIC

THROUGH THE HANDS OF DAVID LANZ (1997) was his instrumental piano video. The video displays his versatility and includes complete performances of some of his most noted songs.

FOLLOWING A DISTINCTLY UNIQUE PATH followed naturally to him. His mother was in Seattle choral groups,"Mom was my first musical influence," says he. "I heard a lot of Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, and Nat King Cole growing up, which I thought was great!"

By the time he was 14, Beatles made an impact . "I went nuts!" David says, "I loved their energy and their sound." He paid homage to the Beatles on 1998's SONGS FROM AN ENGLISH GARDEN.

In 1971, he recorded with Canadian super-group BRAHMAN. Also played keyboard at Terry Jack's 1974 world wide smash hit "Seasons in the Sun." As a nightclub artist, he even sang the pop tunes he was writing.

He is not interested in singing. "Just let me play the piano," he says.

PLAYING THE PIANO, became his most noted form of self-expression. He loves playing for the audience and thus his concerts are remarkable. "The chance to play the music is great," says Lanz, whose solo concerts have won critical raves. "But concerts are also opportunities to show the audience a bit more of myself than just playing the piano."

EAST OF THE MOON, brought him his first Grammy nomination in 2000. It was produced by Hugh Padgham. (Sting, Phil Collins, Melissa Etheridge).

He remains a veritable icon of new age music. His FINDING PARADISE was among the Top 15 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Chart and the radio hits included"That Smile" and "Romantica".

"All the years I was playing rock while getting into jazz and classical music, I had a feeling I might be destined for some success, and the fact that it came in Contemporary New Age music was a wonderful surprise," he asserts. "At first, I had to get away from the idea that it was just a diversion from my rock aspirations, but then I came to embrace it. The most fulfilling thing by far is meeting young musicians who get excited about making music by hearing my own. I think back to how important my influences were as a kid, and I feel blessed to play that role for others."