"’Into His Rest: Grace and Glory VIII’ is a collection of thirteen hymns (two are combined into a medley) arranged for solo piano and performed by Bob Baker. About half of these songs are familiar old hymns, and the others I assume are more contemporary praise songs. The arrangements emphasize the melodies of these wonderful songs yet add many personal touches and interpretations that should be pleasing to traditionalists as well as listeners with a more contemporary ear. Baker’s gospel influence emerged after attending Living Waters Tabernacle in Denver where he currently helps with solo piano and accompaniment. The album was recorded at Aspen Meadows Resort in Colorado on a Bosendorfer 225 grand piano (7’4” and 92 keys), which has a very rich and beautiful tone – perfect for Baker’s expressive style of playing. The overall feel of the album is very relaxed and soothing, so even if you aren’t into hymns, this is a heartfelt, satisfying solo piano album.

“Into His Rest” begins with a medley of “I Need Thee Every Hour” and “The Old Rugged Cross.” The opening strains are the simple melody line played with the damper pedal depressed, giving the echo-y feeling of vast open space and alone-ness. Once the left hand enters, the piece warms up and becomes more prayer-like. “The Old Rugged Cross” was a favorite of mine when I was growing up, and I love Baker’s take on it! “Does Jesus Care?” begins with a simple playing of “Jesus Loves Me,” another childhood favorite, before going into the song itself, which also has a relatively simple melody that Baker infuses with emotion. “I Surrender All” is an old standard, but Baker freshens it up and makes it new again. “Holy City” isn’t familiar to me, but I love the poignant melody and the expressive quality of Baker’s playing. “Just As I Am,” another classic hymn, is brought up-to-date without changing it too much. I love “More About Jesus”! Given a more gospel styling than the other songs, it is upbeat and joyous without interrupting the more serious overall tone of the album. I’d love to hear more songs like this! “Oh The Deep Deep Love of Jesus” has been a favorite since I first heard Jeff Bjorck’s piano arrangement fifteen years ago, and I really like Baker’s arrangement, too! Baker closes his album with a lovely take on “He Leadeth Me.” Warm and very sincere, it’s a wonderful expression of faith and devotion.

I have to admit that I wasn’t familiar with Bob Chaz Baker and his music until quite recently, and what a happy discovery it is! Recommended!”

Kathy Parsons - Mainly Piano

“‘The Romance Language of Music’ is a five-song solo piano EP by Bob Baker, a former jazz trombone player who switched to piano and keyboards after a short tour with Jerry Lee Lewis and hearing the statement that “horn players will come and go but they will always need piano players to Rock ‘n Roll.” Nicknamed Chaz, he performed and toured with a wide variety of musicians before launching his solo career. The Romance Language of Music draws on this broad range of musical experience and incorporates Baker’s Filipino/Irish multi-racial background as well as classical, jazz, rock and gospel influences into a musical language that is distinctly Baker’s own. Sometimes tender and lyrical and sometimes upbeat and effervescent, there is a very impressive collection of music on this relatively short album.

“The Romance Language of Music” begins with “Crisanta’s Dream,” a beautiful love song with a gracefully-flowing left hand and a sweetly lyrical right – sure to evoke a contented sigh! “Rapture in the Quiet” is blissful tranquility set to music. Passionate and intense in some passages, this is a good kind of intensity that doesn’t disturb the peaceful vibe of the piano. “The Romance, The Storm, The Resolve” is the longest of the five pieces at a little over six minutes. It begins with a quiet, melodic delicacy that gently builds to a little past the mid-point of the piece (the romance), becomes much more dramatic with powerful chords (the storm), and again becomes peaceful (the resolve). It’s a beautiful concept piece! “Gethsemane” tells its poignant story without words, relying on emotionally expressive playing to tell the tale in a heartfelt way that words never can. “Joy” goes into an entirely different direction and literally dances for joy with breathless excitement and enthusiasm.

As I was writing this review, I kept thinking, “This is my favorite” with each track. The pieces are all outstanding and you can download the entire album for under $10. Recommended!

Kathy Parsons - Mainly Piano

“‘Christmas Morning’ is a collection of twelve Christmas carols (three are a medley) arranged and performed by Colorado pianist Bob Baker. Some of these traditional carols (and one original) are performed as piano solos and some feature Mark Baker on ugelhorn, Wayne Templeman on cello, and/or Todd Kelly on string bass programming. These beautiful arrangements are reverent, reective and calming, celebrating the birth of Jesus rather than the coming of Santa Claus. It’s a very soulful album without a lot of ash or fanfare. Baker expresses sincerity and a quiet joy that ow through the music freely and eortlessly. 

'Christmas Morning begins with a gentle arrangement of “The First Noel.” After a solo piano intro, Mark Baker comes in making it a graceful trio for piano, ugelhorn and bass. Baker’s piano interludes are especially nice on this one! “Away In a Manger” is the rst Christmas song many children learn and Baker’s sweet arrangement for piano and cello expresses that childlike tenderness, innocence and sense of wonder. I’m not familiar with “Christmas Morning,” so I assume it’s a Bob Baker original piano solo. Delicate and quiet, it also conveys a sense of excitement and anticipation. “What Child Is This?” is a trio for piano, cello, and ugelhorn. The harmonies are lovely and give this ancient song a dierent take. I especially like the cello and piano together. “O Come O Come Emmanuel” is one of the oldest carols, and is always one of my favorites. The rst two minutes of this arrangement are solo piano, and then it becomes a duet for piano and ugelhorn with a slightly jazz feeling. “Silent Night” again features the quartet - dreamy, peaceful and evocative. This solo piano arrangement of “O Come All Ye Faithful” is both calming and spirited - not an easy thing to pull o, but Baker does it beautifully with some light jazz treatment that works well. “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” can take on a variety of stylings, and this one is a quiet trio for Mainly Piano piano, cello and bass - smooth and graceful rather than triumphant. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” has a stately yet owing tone with piano, bass, and cello. The closing track is a medley of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” “Joy to the World,” and “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” again performed on piano, bass, and cello - graceful and relaxing. 

Christmas Morning would be a delightful addition to anyone’s collection of Christmas music!

Kathy Parsons - Mainly Piano