By quieting down and highlighting just one element of his sound, Cook draws us closer to the ecstatic love of music and life that drives his art.ĭespite the cohesive sound of the record, Cook expresses his wide-ranging influences: a seamless mix of Appalachian folk, blues, ragtime, gospel, jazz, and modern classical minimalism.

Though known to fans as a beacon of outspoken positivity, Cook seldom indulges in his more familiar roots-rock impulses here, focusing instead on the core of his musical and thematic ideologies. The follow-up to 2019’s instrumental collection As Far As I Can See is refreshing in its simplicity and nonchalance. He wrote the music during an artist retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains and then recorded the songs in a church in his hometown of Durham, North Carolina. Already secluded due to the pandemic, he decided to take on Hornsby’s challenge and reflect on his first and primary musical instrument. Cook cites a conversation with musical hero Bruce Hornsby as inspiring him to dedicate his 40th year to “relearning” the piano, as Hornsby claims to have done at the same age.

This time, however, Cook presents these sounds in the context of intimate solo piano performances. Cook’s latest solo album, All These Years, operates in familiar territory, blending elements of folk, gospel, jazz, and blues.

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