Jim Brickman

Straddling the line between pop and new age, Jim Brickman's mellow piano compositions evoke romance, hope, and quiet inspiration. Brickman first made his name in the mid-'90s. Becoming the first solo pianist to break into the Top 40 of the pop albums charts. He branched out with pop and country collaborations (including the Top Ten country hit "Valentine" with Martina McBride), Christmas recordings, and albums of classic Disney covers. Brickman has earned two GRAMMY nominations, a Dove Award and has seen over 20 of his albums reach number one on the Billboard new age chart. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Brickman enrolled in the Cleveland Institute of Music. At age 19, began writing commercial jingles. This led him to compose music for such major outfits the Gap, Isuzu, Sprint, and Kellogg's as well as with Jim Henson and Henson Associates. During his association with Henson, Brickman composed for the Muppets and for projects on Sesame Street. Brickman recorded his debut album, No Words, on Windham Hill in 1994. The following year, he released By Heart on the same label, and in 1997 issued Picture This as well as The Gift, a collection of seasonal favorites. Visions of Love followed a year later, and in early 1999 Brickman returned with Destiny. Efforts such as Grace, Peace, and The Disney Songbook followed in the relaxing yet elegant vein of his earlier work; 2003's Peace earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.