Heath Vercher

People like to call Heath a new age pianist.

New age piano? What’s that, you might ask? Most people haven’t the slightest clue either, to tell the truth. Some people say Yanni. Some people say Jim Brickman. Others say George Winston. So who’s right? Some say new age piano is a mix of classical and jazz styles. Others call it contemporary instrumental music. Some think it implies religion or philosophy, others not so much.

So what do you do with a guy who cites his beginnings with Yanni, Jim Brickman, and similar pianists, but plays like Bruce Hornsby, Marc Cohn, or Billy Joel at times? How do you sum up someone whose compositions soothe the soul and rock the house, all at the same time? How do so many pianistic influences come together in one bag?

Heath Vercher tries to answer that question on his current release, Patch Work. The recording, all solo piano, is a mixture of pop, classical, jazz, and folk elements.

In the tradition of the great pianist-singers, Heath has tried to capture the beauty of stories in instrumental compositions which reflect details from his life. From the quiet yet stirring Hymn to the Marc Cohn-influenced Into the Wind, Heath’s compositions are sure to present something for everyone who loves music to enjoy.

Relevant details aside, it is a sure thing that this pianist loves to tell stories, and one can often find him entertaining the audience with tales about his own music or cheesy anecdotes. A shy person normally, being behind a piano brings out a performer you would never think existed had you not seen him play live.

Not one to call concert halls home (mostly because they are too expensive to rent!), Heath is trying to reshape the image of what new age piano music is all about, by bringing it to places it would not normally be found. Having passed through more cafes than he can remember by name, Heath is finding an audience with the same people who love the story-songs of singer-songwriters.

So if you love music, piano or not, be sure to give Heath Vercher a chance. Who knows, maybe you’ll change your mind about new age piano, too!