AS I STATED IN MY LAST REVIEW OF THIS TOTALLY AMAZING MUSIC ARTIST, “I PLAN TO BE HAPPY AGAIN” BY ALAN STOREYGARD & BILLY HOOVER. ALAN STOREYGARD HAS ONCE AGAIN SET HIS FOOTPRINTS DOWN MUSICALLY WITH HIS NEWEST PROJECT CALLED “NEW DIRECTIONS” AS A WRITER AND MUSIC JOURNALIST FOR YEARS NOW I’VE COME TO KNOW THAT WHEN I HEAR COMPLETE TALENT, I NOT ONLY FEEL IT IN MY VEINS I HEAR IT IN MY HEART. ALAN STOREYGARD TRIO AND FRIENDS HAVE ARRIVED WITH A TRULY REMARKABLE ALBUM, CHALKED FULL OF AN AMAZING ASSORTMENT OF MUSIC THAT IS TRULY A NEW DIRECTION IN WHICH HIS MUSIC IS HEADED. THE FIRST SONG ON THIS TOTALLY AND FINELY CRAFTED AND PUT TOGETHER ALBUM IS CALLED “IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING” A SONG WRITTEN BY MUSIC LEGEND CHUCK BERRY. THE ARRANGEMENT COMPLETED BY ALAN STOREYGARD & DAVE ROGERS BRING IN A FLAVOR ALL THEIR OWN AND THE SONG REFLECTS EMOTION AND TRUE TALENT. THE NEXT SONG IS CALLED “THE GIRL FROM IMPANEMA” A SONG THAT I’VE ALWAYS LOVED. WITH THE COMBO OF ALAN STOREYGARD AND DAVE ROGERS BRINGS ALL OF THE LOVE BACK TO MY EARS IN THEIR RENDITION OF THIS VINTAGE SONG. AS I CONTINUED MY LISTENING EXPERIENCE THE NEXT SONG CALLED ” NEW DIRECTIONS” A REAL TRULY REMARKABLE PIECE OF MUSIC, WRITTEN BY ALAN STOREYGARD TRIO & FRIENDS, WITH TRUE BLUES RIFFS BY GUITARIST FRED BASS AND VOCALIST MIKE BROWN THE ALBUM TRULY TAKES ON A “NEW DIRECTION” THAT KEEPS YOUR EARS ENTERTAINED. “DANCING WITH THE IN CROWD” A SONG THAT ARRIVES FROM THE JAZZ PLAYBOOK OF RAMSEY LEWIS & OTHER JAZZ GREATS, THE ARRANGEMENT DONE BY ALAN STOREYGARD AND DAVE ROGERS. WITH THE NEXT SONG WRITTEN BY ALAN, CALLED “REMEMBERING YOU” AND SONG THAT REFLECTS LOVE AND HAS A SMOOTH FEEL TO IT. “MISTY FOR DAVE BRUBECK” WELL THE SONG HAS THAT TRUE JAZZ FOR A RAINY DAY FEELING ON IT AND ALAN STOREYGARD TRIO AND FRIENDS INCLUDING DAVE ROGERS MAKE THE “A” TRAIN WITH THIS INCREDIBLE SONG THAT HAS FLARE AND REAL EMOTIONAL VALUE. ” WITH THIS THE ALBUM TAKES AN AMAZING DIRECTION WITH THE PIANO PLAYING OF ALAN STOREYGARD WITH HIS INTERPETATION OF “AVE MARIA” AND WHAT A WONDFERFUL VERSION THAT MELTED MY HEART & LEFT ME WANTING MORE. THE NEXT SONG “THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER” A SONG THAT ALREADY PROVOKES EMOTION & RAW FEELINGS ALAN STOREYGARD & DAVE ROGERS SERVE TOTAL JUSTICE TO THE SONG, “GOD’S GIFT” (THE BIBLE IN 153 WORDS), WRITTEN BY ALAN STOREYGARD AND HAS A TRUE REFLECTIVE FEEL TO IT PUT INTO SPOKEN WORD. THE NEXT SONG MOVES YOU BACK TO THE JAZZ FEEL OF THE WORLD OF DAVE BRUBECK AND COMPANY AND REFLECTS THAT TRUE JAZZ FEELING AND ALAN STOREYGARD & FRIENDS RING THIS IN WITH THIS VERSION OF IT. THE NEXT SONG IS A TRULY REMARKABLE VERSION CALLED “THE LORDS PRAYER” SUNG BY ALAN’S BROTHER AND IS A SIMPLY GORGEOUS VOCALS AND KEEPS THE SPIRIT AWAKE. “DANCING IN THE STREET” A SONG ARRANGED BY ALAN STOREYGARD & DAVE ROGERS THAT PICKS UP THE PACE AND REVIVES YOUR SOUL AND YOUR INNER JAZZ AND KEEPS YOUR FEET STOMPIN’ AND YOUR HEAD BOPPIN TO THE RTHYHM. THE LAST SONG BRINGS DOWN THE LIGHTS REALLY LOW, THE SONG, VARIATIONS ON CHOPIN’S BALLADE #1 IN G MINOR AND IS ARRANGED BY ALAN STOREYGARD AND IS A LOVELY INTERRPETATION THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF WHO ALAN STOREYGARD IS AS A MUSICIAN OF ALL. ALAN STOREYGARD AND FRIENDS HAVE A GREAT AND REMARKABLE SOUND THAT HAVE KEPT ME A BELIEVER IN ALL WAYS, WITH THEIR REFLECTIVE AND EMOTIONALLY WELL BALANCED MUSIC AS WELL & THEIR SPIRITUAL SIDE THAT ALLOWS ONE TO BE IN PERFECT HARMONY WITH OUR CREATOR. MANY THANKS TO MY DEAR FRIEND ALAN FOR HIS KIND WORDS AND HIS TRULY REMARKABLE MUSIC, WHICH IS TRULY HEADED IN “NEW DIRECTIONS” AND WITH THIS AMAZING MUSIC MADE BY NO OTHER THAN ALAN STOREYGARD TRIO & FRIENDS THAT WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART.

STEVEN F. ADAMS

MUSIC REVIEWER OWNER OF SOUND WAVE ONE

c 2022 used by permission

“Thoroughly enjoyed this album. “New Directions” is mainly an instrumental offering, with fantastic vocals on a few songs. The musicianship is top-notch and so is the sound and production. The songs flow seamlessly into each other. It works beautifully as an easy listening album. I would highly recommend this album.”

 ” A vibrant and eclectic recording, played with honesty and sincerity. Alan Storeygard is spreading his wings with no shortage of exuberance, and he invited us to come along for the fun ride.”

“It takes a bit of artistic nerve to program an album without a truly up-tempo selection until Track 14! Alan Storeygard does this and pulls it off amazingly well with a wonderful collection of beautifully selected, performed, and recorded tunes from the jazz, classical, and popular worlds, his own harmonically lush imagination, and, of  course, Ramsey Lewis. Beauty, inspiration, and music to soothe the soul are all here – and we’re the better for it.”

 “WOW!”   “That’s what I said to my wife as we listened to “New Directions.” I’ve been writing and recording children’s songs for 43 years, and I like listening to different styles of music when I’m not working. “New Directions” is one of the most unusual jazz albums I’ve ever heard. The fusion of so many styles of music on this disc is magnificent. “Dancing With the In Crowd” defies any listener to stand still. The rhythmic pianos came smoking through my speakers. The entire album will lift you up, ease you down, and you’ll want to play it again and again. I take my hat off to Alan, his trio, and his friends.”