An instrumental organic fusion of jazz, rock, and orchestral music, "Emerging" contains an evocative collection of original compositions with heartfelt melodies and lyrical piano performances.

11 MP3 Songs
NEW AGE: New Age



Details:
âComposing music is like solving a puzzle,â says Sam Stryke. âItâs an intellectual challenge â obeying the rules and then breaking them in a creative and strategic way." Relying on a combination of heart and intellect, the accomplished pianist taps into a reservoir of formal musical training and resurfaces with modern instrumentals infused with engaging melodies and rich orchestrations.

Atlantic Records released Strykeâs first solo album, the warm and melodic âIn the Wind,â to critical acclaim in 1991. Five years later, he contributed compositions and performed on jazz trumpeter Rex Richardsonâs âPandoraâs Pocket.â Strykeâs second solo album, 2002âs âEmerging,â cultivates his organic blend of acoustic and vintage electric instruments, as well as strings and horns.

âChristmas,â available in November 2006, is Strykeâs third major release. âThe songs fit together to create a cozy and sentimental mood from beginning to end,â he says. âIâd like listeners to experience a nostalgic and peaceful antidote to the sometimes frenetic pace of the holiday season.â Chicago singer-songwriter Alice Peacock is featured in a special vocal performance of âThe Holly and the Ivy,â with new lyrics by Stryke accompanied by the traditional melody.

A versatile artist, Stryke is also a talented commercial, film and television composer. âComposing for commercials is easier than creating my own music,â he says. âIn ads, the picture dictates much of the writing and the direction is clear. When I'm composing for myself, there are many more options, which requires more soul searching.â Stryke finds that the two worlds provide a creative balance - the fast and furious pace of advertising complements the introspective and thoughtful process of making albums.

Working with longtime friend and guitarist Sandy Torano at Scandal Music in Chicago, Stryke has written music for Anheuser-Busch, McDonaldâs, Capital One, and Nintendo, among others. He is a contributing composer for The Oprah Winfrey Show and, with Torano, created the theme music for Oprah and Friends, Winfreyâs XM Satellite Radio channel. His music has been featured in numerous Super Bowl commercials, including USA Todayâs 2006 poll winner, âMagic Fridge,â and also in the popular âBud Light Real Men of Geniusâ radio campaign. Stryke has collaborated with Academy Award-winning composer and singer Randy Newman and scored the movies âIn Checkâ in 2001 and âMerlotâ in 1998.

A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Stryke moved to Chicago, where he earned a bachelorâs degree in music from Northwestern University in 1993. He has studied with jazz pianist Michael Kocour, noted composer and arranger Cliff Colnot, and New York-based jazz pianist Jim McNeely through a National Endowment for the Arts grant in 1994.
Stryke resides on the north side of Chicago with his wife, Heather, and his two children, Xander and Sophie.

(By Elizabeth Hinshaw Hall)