Legendary pianist and composer Alan Pasqua returns with New Hope, a deeply personal and introspective solo piano album available April 11, 2025, via Blue Canoe Records. A Steinway Artist, Grammy nominee, and Professor of Jazz Studies at USC’s Thornton School of Music, Pasqua delivers a masterful collection of original works and timeless standards — all captured in the purity of solo performance.

New Hope is not a grand statement — it’s a personal one. No frills, no flash — just Alan at the keys, in his own creative space. "This is simply the music I wanted to make right now," Pasqua reflects. The result is a strikingly honest album that draws from a lifetime of musical exploration, from jazz and classical to film scoring and pop.

The album features original compositions including the title track “New Hope,” alongside “Contemplation,” “Agrodolce,” and “The Folks.” Pasqua also offers intimate renditions of beloved classics such as “There’s a Small Hotel,” “Our Love Is Here to Stay,” “Lullaby of Birdland,” and “Star Crossed Lovers.”

With a storied career that has taken him from Carnegie Hall with Tony Williams to the recording studios of Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Elton John — Pasqua’s musical legacy is as deep as it is diverse. He’s composed for major film scores, co-wrote the CBS Evening News theme, and recently contributed original improvisations for Bob Dylan’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech.
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New Hope follows a series of critically acclaimed solo and trio recordings, including the Grammy-nominated Standardswith Peter Erskine and Dave Carpenter, and the elegant Twin Bill, Northern Lights, and Day Dream albums. With New Hope, Pasqua returns to the essence of his artistry — one piano, one voice, one moment at a time.

Guitar phenom Dan Baraszu creates a twenty-song solo guitar album titled, "Lone Guitar" featuring multi-genre interpretations of the American SongBook from jazz to rock, pop, and in-between.

In addition to the recent release from Nicolas Meier | Dewa Budjana Group's "Flying Spirits", guitarist Nicolas Meier has released an independent solo guitar album titled, "Stories" (a non-Blue Canoe release). "Stories" can be purchased directly from Nicolas on his Official Website.

"Stories" is made of original music and lots of covers like "La Vie en Rose", music of "the Godfather", "Night & Day", "Blues for Alice", "Mona Lisa", Jeff Beck's "Brush with the Blues" and even Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters"...More Info at www.meiergroup.com

Review by: Malcolm Creese
Issue: Autumn #22


This is an extraordinary album of bass-only music by a highly talented and versatile American player. Joseph Patrick Moore visits classical, jazz and pop genres in this showcase collection, most of the 15 short titles are his, and he employs a myriad of studio devices to achieve a surprisingly complete sound. There are delays, loops, harmonics, echoes, multi-tracking and synthesizer effects. Moore is a fine player on double bass, bass guitar with and without frets and even the occasional vocal. The bottom end is obviously well catered for, but he higher registers are also there in abundance, and with accuracy and clarity. Heaven knows how many strings the various bass guitars have (lots!), but the music never sounds muddy or bottom-heavy. Moore’s fretless playing is reminiscent of the great Jaco Pastorius‘ impact on the fretless basswas so overwhemling that it is difficult not to sound like him on this instrument. Moore dedicates a track to some others who influenced him - including Dave Holland and Ron Carter – and his choice of a song by Sting gives another clue as to his list of mentors. As an extra bonus the funky Bobby McFerrin track Drive is included on the CD in video format, where the youthful Moore gives a solo bass guitar performance in what looks like his living room.