Finding Paradise

1	That Smile 3:33
2	Walk on Water 3:56
3	Lost in Paradise 5:35
4	America 3:43
5	Dorado 4:52
6	Romantica 4:19
7	Tears for Alice 3:49
8	The Sound of Wings 3:39
9	Luna 3:57
10	Theme from the Other Side 4:31
11	Love Lost...Love Found 4:07

Barnes & Noble

Pianist/composer David Lanz, who jokingly calls himself a SNAG (sensitive new age guy), is one of the core pianists of new age music. But on Finding Paradise, Lanz ventures into the land of smooth jazz, teaming up with some of that genre's top figures: saxman Dave Koz, arranger/keyboardist/drum-programmer Gregg Karukas, violinist Charlie Bisharat, bass player Mel Brown, guitarist Michael Thompson, and others. It's a new direction for Lanz, and it's a heartfelt, upbeat success. The lively "Walk on Water" bursts with the buoyant exuberance one expects from this talent. "Tears for Alice," though, offers a rejuvenating foray into sincere sentiment. "The Sound of Wings" showcases Lanz's solo talents, which range from the delicate flutter of angel feathers to fistfuls of flurrying keys. "Love Lost...Love Found," arranged by Dave Benoit, is another touching and rhapsodic oasis. The absolute showstopper, though, is "Theme from the Other Side," which features lonely refrains from Jeff Beals's blues trumpet, ghostly keyboards by space-music maven Jonn Serrie, and the eerie pulses of Jimmy Johnson's fretless base. Finding Paradise may find Lanz in easy-listening territory, but thanks to his pianistic chops and innate musical sensibilities, it's a lot closer to heaven than a great deal of this musical terrain. Carol Wright

All Music Guide

The sweeping, piano-driven sounds of David Lanz approach the 20-year mark on Finding Paradise, his 2002 release. With his usual sentimental arrangements and crew of session musicians, this is exactly what one would expect from a David Lanz album. This could have been made in 1987 or in 1995 -- it has the timeless sound of smooth jazz and new age that has become a favorite of waiting rooms and grocery stores around the country. Lanz is an acquired taste, but fans of the Kenny G/Najee school of music should find this to be a fine addition to their collections. Bradley Torreano

New Age Voice

A fabulous crossover collection for today's soft jazz and contemporary pop enthusiasts.