"I thought I had written a record about the arc of a relationship. Now I realize it's really about freedom", so says Andrew Baum. His smooth and masterful debut album "release", explores the many facets of freedom, from the price of it to the peace of it.

Musical freedom too plays a big part. Turning to both the guitar and the piano at an early age, Andrew went through all the familiar stages - initially learning to write and sing but actually only mimicking his heroes. His music is clearly informed by the 70's albums of Billy Joel and Elton John with their polished studio sound, yet he's found a way to break free from the constraint of taking a tune in the all too familiar directions to which we're conditioned. There's just enough familiarity for comfort but more than enough surprises to be interesting. "The records I seem to relate to the most are the ones by the individual singing of his or her own personal experiences whether it's Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel or Fiona Apple." On "release" Andrew captures the sound of a unique and personal experience.

Yet as personal as the experience is, it's also universal. The details of the various relationships may be specific to Baum's experiences, but in one form or another, we've all been there. The opening track "Like The Sun" with its' take-it-easy intimacy talks about love's post mortem, aware that love will call and change him yet again. "It's like the dawn of a different mind when the door swings wide and open/And I feel I can see what I want love to be/And I've come to believe that she is shining for me/Endlessly...". "You've Found Her" sings of the enduring paradox of obtaining through letting go "After a while you'll recall how to smile/Releasing the ghost of the one you'd loved the most/Until you're free to find her/'Til you've found her..".

Baum made sure he had the tools he needed to express these emotional nuances exactly. Months were spent on pre-production, first discussing and then working on the arrangements of the 12 songs that make up "release". Real brass, real strings were obtained and Baum's arranger/co-producer Michael Mazzarella lobbied painstakingly to get Wurlitzers, Fender Rhodes, Oboes and French horns. "Michael and I had a specific part in mind for each individual musician. Luckily, we also had great players who added colors and tones we hadn't thought of". David Dominach, best known for engineering the first four Lenny Kravitz records, engineered and also co-produced. "Working with these guys was a pleasure. They make it look easy but they fought hard to get me the sound that I wanted." The result is an articulate and soulful musical expression.

Andrew was born and raised in Chappaqua, New York, long before the Clintons staked their claim there. "My mother once said that if she could be anyone else, it would be Mick Jagger. But she sang in the choir instead. Music was just always around."

And lucky for us, Baum soaked it up like a sponge.