13 tracks. Running time 42:09 Long time professional pianist Lisa Drake has self-released Creekside - a collection of piano based instrumental songs with background strings and other sounds, including voices. All but one of the melodic new age pieces were composed by Lisa, with the exception of a cover version of Irene Rodgers's "Balalaika Serenade". As with many piano based albums this is a set of short stories and moods told in music. Beginning the album is “Supernova” which begins with a nice open melody, then string chords come in to add a hint of grandeur. All the instrumentation builds to a dramatic apex representing an exploding star in the night sky before falling back to a gentle denouement as the celestial explosion fades into a shower of dimming light. Though not all the tracks worked for me it's obvious that Lisa has put a lot of her heart and soul into the album. This especially comes out in the delightful piece “Little Mary”. A pretty piano melody evoking the innocence and exuberance of the young is accompanied by a quivering rhythm like rapid drum brushes. And Briefly we hear refrains sounding kind of like a clarinet adding a further human dimension to this lovely track. Most tracks have an emotional resonance at a similar level, but there are a couple of exceptions. In “Tranquility River” a slow melody of both high and low notes conveys a sense of walking along the banks of a gently flowing river where sun sparkles can be seen on the water surface creases. Then in contrast the following track “Cleo” begins with understated dramatic string chords which are then joined by a plucked string melody. Near the end it builds into a slightly Spanish style cantering rhythm. Creekside is one of those albums that's both uplifting and reflective at the same time. It's the kind of music suitable for lazy sunday afternoons when the weather keeps one indoors. I suspect it'll appeal to those who like the works of George Winston or David Lanz.