Pianist packs music with emotion

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

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Jim Brickman Starring in "Love Songs & Lullabies" concert 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday Hawai'i Theatre $30, $35 528-0506 Also: Special package, available for Saturday's show, includes 5 p.m. dinner at Kapono's at Aloha Tower Marketplace, trolley ride to the Hawai'i Theatre and VIP seats for the 7:30 p.m. Brickman performance, and post-show dessert at Palomino's; $125 per person; call Victoria Okada at 791-1302.

"Others do it better," he said. "It's not that I don't want to."

Brickman, who will share his cache of love songs in two Hawai'i Theatre performances this weekend, said he's not a romanticist in the literary sense. He shudders when he's labeled Mr. Romance.

"I'm emotional by nature," he said. "Romance is such a strange word with a big umbrella concept: It can be anything from walking on the beach with your loved one or dining at Denny's on a date. When I give a concert, I get to share my music, which can trigger emotions if it feels right; I write to relate people's stories, to communicate by emotions, rather than romance."

In a telephone conversation from Albuquerque, N.M., where he was getting ready for a sound check for a show, Brickman shed light on his youth, his music, his audience, the state of a shattered world as a result of 9/11. His earnest, warm, easy-going manner — reflected in his personal, lyrical and infectious music that tops the adult contemporary music charts — comes through in his candor.

"The important aspect about my music is that there are pulls and tugs, and it flows the way music should rather than with mathematic equations," he said.

"It's all about melody and emotion, about nuance, about swells, about improvisations. You decide where you're going and how fast or slow you'll be, rather than settling in with a constant beat. I think that's why classical music endures: There's nothing steady and constant to lose the emotions, there are ups and downs."

Brickman said his show, "Love Songs & Lullabies," offers escape and entertainment, as well as an opportunity to revisit emotions and re-explore love.

"The music touches emotions," he said. "Everyone reacts in an individual way. But now, there's a patriotic section, an acknowledgement of where we are in this state of the world. ... But I want to look at the positive, happy thoughts, throw in some laughter, yet acknowledge the way we've changed."

From his vantage point, the concerts are a vehicle to let his fingers do the talking.

"People go to the theater, to be taken away on a journey, so yes, they want to be entertained," said Brickman. "They like the solo piano music, but some come because they hear my music on the radio, the ones with vocal collaborations. My concerts have become multigenerational, multiracial, with really a mixed crowd."

In the '90s, Brickman waltzed up the charts and sweetened adult radio with a string of hit songs, including "Valentine," with Martina McBride singing; and "The Gift," with Colin Raye and Susan Ashton. His current single is "You," with Jane Krakowski.

While there have been other collaborations with the likes of Kenny Loggins, Michael W. Smith, Olivia Newton-John and Carly Simon, his featured vocalists on the best sellers have been virtual unknowns, by design.

"I admire those people's works, so I've asked them to record; I like to find new, undiscovered talent," he said. "Much of this comes from my desire to introduce these voices to my audience, who will appreciate them. It doesn't have to be an icon like Kenny, Carly, Olivia or Martina to launch a song. I think this all relates to my inexperience; I was never mentored by anybody, stumbling my way through the business. But ignorance has led me down the right path; people believed in me, so I believe in people, and like to give them chance to be heard."

Ann Cochran, his choice for touring shows, will add the vocal touches in concerts here.

Brickman remembers tinkering with the piano at age 4. "It wasn't so much as I wanted to play piano, as much as I was interested in music," he said. "I loved music; I had the desire. The piano seemed to be a nice piece of furniture, besides being an instrument.

"But I found it fit my needs, as I grew older. It's something you play by yourself; I'm an individualist, so I like things you do in your own world. That's why I like to swim. I like to fly, too, and am now learning (to be a pilot). It's not like football, where you're part of team. The piano enables me to go into my own little world, express myself, even to this day. As a songwriter, it's the way I communicate.

"I wasn't very good, in my recitals as a kid, but when you have something that is your friend, and the piano is mine, it doesn't leave you. It's the one thing that you learn to trust, the one thing you believe in, and it's important for everyone to have something like that."

He has a voracious appetite to create, but in moderation. While other pianists may favor a keyboard set up in a hotel room while on tour (Elton John occasionally has a piano in his suite), Brickman makes no such requests when he's on the road.

"I try to separate the work aspect," he said. "I play every night, and rehearse at sound checks before a performance, so I don't need to go home, or to the hotel room, to practice. Besides, there has to be a balance."

Brickman also is a radio personality and deejay, with a weekly show, "Your Weekend with Jim Brickman," on which he recounts the adult faves; the program often includes chats with show biz personalities. When he's on the road, he normally tapes the show at an affiliate station. The show airs at 7-10 p.m. Sundays on KSSK AM/FM.

"I find that the people (celebrities) I interview trust me more, because they think I'm one of them," he said. "When I ask Celine Dion if it was hard for her growing up, I can relate to her, as a performer, what it felt like. Performers are a lot more comfortable when they have something in common with you; I would ask Madonna why she is so shy, and I can relate, too, because I'm very shy."