Brian Culbertson Hopes To Tour U.S. Churches With Wife

You just may be able to catch Brian Culbertson inside a church later this year - playing piano.

The pianist, who just recently released his eighth solo album, is now finalizing one for his wife Michelle Culbertson called Be Still My Soul.

The album of traditional hymns will spotlight only Brian’s piano and Michelle’s vocals. After it's released this fall, the husband-and-wife team from Southern California plan to take the music on a tour of churches.

Michelle, an operatic singer, will lend her talents to a mixture of classical, jazz and pop compositions such as “Amazing Grace” “Holy, Holy, Holy” and “How Great Thou Art.”

In addition to 13 hymns, the album will include two original songs composed by Brian and songwriter Lindy Robbins. The CD will be released independently and offered on both Brian and Michelle’s websites in the fall.

"It’s a complete musical switch and change from myself, and it was really cool," says Brian. "We did all these new arrangements of all these hymns that are well over a hundred years old. Like if you would just play the piano alone, you would have no idea what song it is. And that’s what we wanted to try to create. It’s very cinematic. I've played it for a few people and they’re like, Oh man, I could have heard that in Braveheart."

If you want to hear what Brian and Michelle sound like in a smooth jazz mood, check out Brian’s new CD called It’s On Tonight. Michelle’s vocals and violin playing is featured on a couple of songs.