Alexis Ffrench – Pianodao

Alexis Ffrench’s ‘Classical Soul’

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Alexis Ffrench has long described himself on his website as a “classical-soul pioneer”, but I think it is with his most recent recordings that his unique style has most distinctly come of age.

The aptly-named Classical Soul Vol.1 was released as a 21-track album in late 2024, including 15 new compositions interleaved with short, reverent cover versions of five soul classics: Killing Me Softly with his Song (Roberta Flack), A Change is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke), At last (Etta James), I Say a Little Prayer (Aretha Franklin) and Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers).

This has been followed by a second album, Classical Soul, Vol.1: The Solo Piano Collection. Dispensing with the atmospheric backings and guest musicians of the first release, French here delivers solo versions of his 15 original compositions only, now supplemented by a ‘felt piano’ remix of Reverie and two new bonus tracks.

These 17 originals have now been transcribed and published in a sheet music collection from Hal Leonard, Selections from Classical Soul, Vol.1, the subject of this review…

Alexis Ffrench: ‘Truth’

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Alexis Ffrench’s star has continued to rise since my review of Hal Leonard’s Alexis Ffrench: The Sheet Music Collection a couple of years ago.

Last year Ffrench became Composer in Residence with Scala Radio. Readers may be still more interested in the recent announcement of his appointment as the new Artistic Director of ABRSM, the music examination board, a role of which he has enthusiastically said,

“I can’t wait to start working with ABRSM’s Chief Executive, Chris Cobb, and his wonderful team in service of teachers and learners all over the world!”

On the creative front, Ffrench recently released his latest album on Sony. Truth introduces thirteen brand new tracks, including collaborations with singer Leona Lewis, guitarist Jin Oki, and with the lush backing of a 70-piece orchestra.

According to the artist,

“In writing these pieces, as we were all locked down, I imagined what the world would look like if we all asked ourselves the question “who am I and what is my purpose in the world?” and what we, as a human race, could create and change together. Out of that intensely personal moment, and as a reaction to feelings I could barely fathom at the time, these songs were born – as an elegy to the audacity of hope.”

Hal Leonard have just published the official sheet music folio of all the tracks from the album in solo piano transcriptions, the subject of this review…

Alexis Ffrench: The Collection

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Chances are readers will have encountered the music of Alexis Ffrench; his albums Evolution and Dreamland have both topped the classical charts making him the UK’s biggest selling pianist of 2020, and his music has amassed over 200 million streams online.

Now, in conjunction with Universal Music and SONY, Hal Leonard bring us the official music book of Ffrench’s biggest piano hits to date, Alexis Ffrench: The Sheet Music Collection. Let’t take a look…