Jim Brickman, the pianist known for his romantic melodies, adores the quiet.

"I like peace," he said in a phone interview from Saginaw, Mich., while touring his way toward the Islands. He returns for a concert Saturday at the Blaisdell Concert Hall, his first since 2002.

So it's not much of a coincidence that his latest CD is titled "Escape." And Brickman's great escape is the sound of silence. That, too, could be the undercurrent that defines his musical signatures.

"One of the things misunderstood about music is not so much about constant playing or melodies, but about that quietness, the sounds of silence," Brickman said. "Music can be overkill; nuances of quiet moments are special. The ideal scene and song? Something peaceful."

He said his creative juices don't operate by the clock. "It's whenever the ideas come. And I never (initially) write anything down; I rarely record to tape. A lot of time, a song is based on sensibility. If it's good, I have sort of a sensory memory; I will remember, it stays with me.

"As for great ideas coming in the middle of the night, I've talked to songwriter friends and while ideas come (when you're sleeping, or trying to), you may think it's great. A lot of this is enhanced by the dream state. If it's really good, it's something you'll store whether you've written it down or not."

Brickman, 45, is the "other" Piano Man (or is Billy Joel the "other"?) and is a rare commodity — a contemporary solo keyboarder who often solicits voices not widely known ... until they sing his compositions. Think Martina McBride ("Valentine"), Collin Raye and Susan Ashton ("The Gift"), Jane Krakowski ("You"), Michael W. Smith ("Love of My Life"), Jordan Hill and Billy Porter ("Destiny"), Mark Schultz ("'Til I See You Again") and Sara Evans ("Never Alone").

If labels apply, his genre is new age, with that sweeping, romantic flourish that some consider "elevator music."

"I think as a songwriter, you grow and become better at what you do, the more you do it," he said. "You want to stay fresh, with core sensibilities; when you keep at it, it comes naturally. Also, you must write melodically by nature, with broad, melodic ideas and chorus ideas that are 'hooky' (elements that linger with the listener). To fuse that contemporary sensibility is where it gets to be challenging."

Before he launched his current "Escape" tour, Brickman took time off from mainstream album writing to flesh out other projects, like "The Disney Songbook" in 2005 and another with Christian music called "Grace."

So when he went back to writing his own music, "the songs came flooding in," Brickman said.

Brickman also is a radio star, with his "Weekend With Jim Brickman," launched in 1997 and heard here Sundays on KSSK radio, in which he chats with celebrity guests and does a countdown of adult contemporary hits.

With obvious ties to his "Valentine" hit, he created the Jim Brickman Valentine's Day Cruise with Carnival Cruise Line, for romantics who adore his music and the joy of travel. He also has secured Honolulu's Shawna Masuda to perform on the "Valentine" number in his concert Saturday.

Brickman said when hardcore fans come to his shows, "they leave with an emotional high. They've gone on a journey; a melody is a comfortable thing when delicately played or performed. I take advantage of these nuances of music; I want people to connect to my songs, so I play with that intent. With focus. I'm really a fan of this style of music; if I weren't playing in the concert, I'd be in the audience of the show. I feel I understand my audience."

He's known for his precise left-hand technique of keyboarding. "It's sort of a rolling open chord movement; the style is defined by a very open way, instead of playing chords as a block chord. I play on nuances of silence, mixed with sounds. It's more like a cello line; the openness of the overtones with my left hand make it sound more orchestrated."

His piano hands are insured, but he declined to say for how much. Brickman maintains his wellness with obvious don'ts: "Don't ski, don't ice skate, don't roller skate. Just stay away from doing stupid things that could hurt you."

Though he's a notable in his own right, he often feels the gush of admiration when he meets or interviews other celebrities on the road or on his radio program.

"I remember talking to Bill Clinton one time at a fundraiser; I wasn't thinking of what he was saying, but about talking to the president. When someone later came up to me and asked what he said, I didn't know. I was in such awe."

Brickman's iPod boasts songs of solitude that soothe.

"Mostly, I include stuff for reference," he said. "I always have standards — Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Mel Torme, that type. Oh, and the new Tony Bennett record (with guest stars galore). Some standards, some current pop. But not jazz — or anything metal or hard-rock."

With his squeaky-clean, wholesome good looks, Brickman has the goods to be an Armani model — or a prospect for People's Sexiest Man.

Asked if he's been ever considered for the sexiest guy, he said no, but chortled: "I would like to know why not! But I appreciate the vote of confidence. But George Clooney made it twice!"

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.