David Lanz

David Lanz
David Lanz
Born	June 28, 1950 (age 74); Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres	New age, Jazz music
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instrument(s)	Piano, Tastiere
Years active	1964–present
Labels	Narada, Decca Records
Website	www.davidlanz.com

David Howard Lanz (born June 28, 1950, in Seattle, Washington) is an American pianist and composer. His album Cristofori's Dream topped the New Age Music Chart in 1988.

Early years

Lanz attributes his interest in the piano to experiences during his childhood in the Pacific Northwest. He was inspired to play piano by his mother.^[1] She played songs by Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole on the piano and became his first musical mentor.

Lanz started his performing career as a teenager during the 1960s. In 1971, he recorded an album for Mercury Records with the Canadian group Brahman. He played keyboards on the hit song "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks. In the late 1970s, he was musical director for the Seattle band the Sweep, with Ken McCann as singer, Peter Pendras on lead guitar, Glenn Ayers on drums, and Hugh Gerrard on bass. Saxophonist Robbie Jordan was added to the group after a gig in Boise, Idaho.

Lanz shifted to playing solo acts in local clubs. At a nightclub in Seattle, he began to perform his own compositions and moved from rock to jazz and blues.

Recording career

The 1980s saw the birth of a new type of musical talent in Lanz. During this time, with the help of a friend, he began composing what would now be considered New Age music. From the 1980s onward, he has released a steady stream of albums, including his ground-breaking album Heartsounds, his first solo album, which boosted the popularity of his record label, Narada.^{[citation needed]}

Style

Lanz's goal is to have his music create an atmosphere of hope and enlightenment. In an interview with Barnes & Noble, Lanz stated that he wanted to create an atmosphere similar to that of Steven Halpern's music, but with a "more popular hook in it".^[2]

Lanz has said, "[The piano] is the most divinely inspired instrument on the planet. It presents a great attraction to our left-right brain relationship. My goal is to create entertainment that also provides hope and enlightenment."

In the front of his Musicbook, The David Lanz Collection, he writes: "At the piano, I'm able to communicate in a way that is very intimate and direct. My approach at music is a bit like talking to a friend. You don't have to be very complicated when you speak. If you say what's in your heart, it's usually very simple."

Lanz's style spans the popular songbook as well. His 2009 release, Liverpool: Re-imagining The Beatles, made with Xiao flute master Gary Stroutsos pays homage to the music of The Beatles.

Discography

Studio albums

1983 Heartsounds
1985 Nightfall
1985 Natural States (with Paul Speer)
1985 Solstice (with Michael Jones)
1987 Woodlands (with Tingstad and Rumbel)
1987 Desert Vision (with Paul Speer)
1988 Cristofori's Dream
1990 Skyline Firedance
1991 Return to the Heart
1993 Bridge of Dreams (with Paul Speer)
1994 Christmas Eve
1996 Sacred Road
1996 Convergence (with David Arkenstone)
1998 Songs from an English Garden
1999 An Evening with David Lanz
1999 Cristofori's Dream (remastered with additional track)^[3]
1999 The Christmas Album
1999 East of the Moon
2002 Finding Paradise
2003 The Symphonic Sessions
2004 The Good Life
2005 Spirit Romance
2006 Sacred Road Revisited
2007 A Cup of Moonlight (revised official release with additional tracks - 2003 limited website edition)
2008 Living Temples
2008 Painting the Sun
2009 Liverpool: Re-imagining the Beatles
2011 Here Comes the Sun
2011 Here Comes the Sun (solo piano edition)
2012 Christofori's Dream Re-envisioned
2012 Joy Noel
2013 Movements of the Heart
2014 Forever Christmas (compilation with Kristin Amarie)
2015 Silhouettes of Love (compilation with Kristin Amarie)
2016 Norwegian Rain
2017 French Impressions
2020 Water Sign
2022 Lettere D'amore - Letters of Love (with Kristin Amarie)
2024 Valentine Hill
2024 Ayres (with Kristin Amarie)

Singles

2000 "Angel in My Stocking" – Limited Edition

Live albums

2010 Liverpool Trio: Live in Seoul

Compilation albums

1995 Beloved: A David Lanz Collection
2001 Love Songs
2002 Romantic: The Ultimate David Lanz Collection
2003 Heartsounds/Nightfall (rereleased/remastered)
2005 The Best of David Lanz

Compilation appearances

20 Years of Narada Piano
Grand Piano (Narada Anniversary Collection)
Narada Smooth Jazz
Narada Film and Television Music Sampler

Sources

^ [1] ^{[dead link‍]}
^ "Barnes & Noble.com Music - New Age Interview". Archived from the original on 2008-05-18. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
^ "Virgin Acquires Narada Label". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 27 September 1997. pp. 111–. ISSN 0006-2510.

External links

Davidlanz.com — official site

[1] [1] ^{[dead link‍]}

[2] "Barnes & Noble.com Music - New Age Interview". Archived from the original on 2008-05-18. Retrieved 2006-11-12.

[Inc.1997-3] "Virgin Acquires Narada Label". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 27 September 1997. pp. 111–. ISSN 0006-2510.

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