For a nice relaxing listen, snuggle up with Robert Scott Stanton and his delightful piano works. Classically-trained Stanton masterfully paints a variety of aural pictures on By the Wing of an Angel from the free, bluesy “The Poet’s Waltz” to the upbeat tune “Soda Springs.” The latter has a driving beat overlaid with a simplistic, pretty melody, similar to a Steven Reineke arrangement for symphonic band. The production on the album makes the most of Stanton’s instrumentation whether it is solo piano or an orchestration that includes bass, drums and a lot of keyboards. Thankfully, the patches on the keyboards for the most part sound full and not too electronic. The synthesized flute harmonies in the title track are skillfully intertwined with the piano to create a dramatic texture. Stanton’s polished playing as he runs up and down the keyboard is also showcased. Smooth running eighth notes also punctuate the flowing song “Merlin” as well as Stanton’s tasteful use of the sustain pedal.

A standout number on By the Wing of an Angel is the melancholy “Headlands” that opens with quiet rain sounds. Percussive downbeats soon enter over the soft, slow keyboards. The synthesized saxophone patch used for the prominent solo has a decent quality but this song holds amazing potential, that while it works fine as is, would be neat to hear played with a real tenor saxophone and a Fender Rhodes.

Stanton has a firm grasp on melodic writing and execution. The pianist does a fine job of bringing musical landscapes to life and with eager anticipation let us hope he continues to create more lovely music.