Phyllis Cole-Dai's CD, "Child of All Earth" will satisfy the new age fan, piano enthusiast, and purveyor of finely performed and written dynamic instrumental music. Her piano breathes and relates with sincerity. "What If" takes a mixture of Casablanca drama and winds it within counterpoint that lands somewhere between the west and east. Dai's use of dominant chords takes a welcome break from the minor movement of the tune in what ultimately is a dynamic and intimate piano instrumental. Dai's influence from Gershwin is apparent in most of the works here. We can detect a bit of Rhapsody-love in her track, "In the Dark Bread Rising". The chordal moving and brooding composition continues to rise as voicings intertwine delicately but with purpose. Dai has ambitious tracks on the record, one of which is "Riddle Me This". She begins with a simple, almost midi, melody - and then the right and left hand play a perpetual musical game of counterpoint in this somewhat playful and extended three minute piece. Dai takes a contemporary new/age musak turn in "Stand Up". The tune finds itself within an easily understood format for the first half of the tune as far as melody and pace. She surprises a bit with a section that is much more animated about half way in. Ultimately the tune ends up with the sweet melody that it hinted at the start. A trapping of some newage piano artists we've heard is the tendency to over-arpeggiate. We hear none of that with Dai's works - and as "Yes" demonstrates, she has the ability to allow her work to breathe. The power of the artist is in her dynamic performances on the CD. Musicianship and organic touch makes for a gambit of emotion in each of the tracks. For example, in "Circling", Dai opens gently with a whisper of a motif note that gives birth to gradually complexing melody. Eventually the exercise of circling ensues with a compelling center section that reminds us of Baba O'Reilly and guitarist Hedges' motions. It's our favorite track on what ultimately is a fine musical achievement for the pianist.