A more running melodic approach to the piano propels Patricia Moon’s Looking Beyond (Love and Laughter LLMCD-213; 55:21), which is filled with lively pop-cinema melodies. Composer Moon likes to support theme with arrangement-the rhythmic tension and fast piano work of “Feelin’ Good,” for example, illustrates the challenge to reach that peaceful state-from struggle to exhilaration. “Is Anyone Listening?” draws from a slightly darker, more dramatic palette, as Moon’s piano explores isolation in the piece’s open sections. Quiet appreciation marks several compositions here, from the muted keyboard and sweet sax of “Friends” to the relaxing string setting of “In a Moment.” Some of the stretches suit Moon’s straight-up style well, like the brisk, percussion-popping Latin territory of “The Jungle,” but the expansive, hopeful orchestral feel of wide-open tunes like “Eternity” (a spindly paean to space adventure) shows a knack for the musical picture-painting of film composition.
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