I have always had a deep appreciation for fine music -- all kinds of music -- from classic rock to classical violin to jazz and I've reviewed quite a few popular bands in the last few years. Most recently, I had the opportunity to review Foreigner and shared that the music played was "classic, yet timeless" -- that show evoked memories from my childhood and made me smile and literally rock in my chair.

Well, believe it or not, this classic rocker is also a lover of new-age / fusion / jazz music - on my iPod are works from many fantastic artists including Jean-Luc Ponty, Jean-Michel Jarre, Andreas Vollenweider, Enya, and Yanni. This kind of music touches me on a completely different plane of consciousness. During an interview, Yanni said: "My goal is to connect with people emotionally. I take life's experiences and translate them into music -- music that hopefully creates an impact on the listener”

Photos: Yanni at the Kravis Center | Directions, invite a friend to Wednesday's show | Visit Howie Grapek's website

Tuesday, Yanni kicked off his 80-show, 2012 U.S. tour at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, with an absolutely amazing performance. Joking while on stage that he has a home only 20 minutes from the venue, Yanni said, "It is as if you are all in my living room!" He performed with his 12-piece orchestra for more than two hours with music from all walks of his career. There are few modern-day composers with a unique sense of music and style which is truly their own. To compare new-age music with classic rock is a stretch, but for Yanni, it is possible. This Greek composer marries contemporary new-age spirituality with today's pop attitudes and delivers a unique sound which puts him in a class of his own. As far as contemporary new-age music goes, Yanni is a step above the rest. His compositions explore the human auditory sensory perception completely, while using the instruments surrounding him as tools for his own stylistic exploration. What continues to amaze me about him is his ability to bring together this enormous collection of different sounds into a delightfully pleasing experience. What pleasantly caught me off guard Tuesday was the amount of genuine fun and energy there was on stage -- not just by Yanni playing his multiple keyboards, but by all 12 people in the orchestra. I have always known that Yanni, as a composer, created all the music -- not just for the ivory keys, but for all the instruments on stage. I have never seen one of his live performances before. It was a real treat to see him demonstrate that he has a complete connection to his music -- and is able to show it in a very unique and entertaining way. The concert opened with the song "Santorini" followed by "Truth of Touch", “Keys to Imagination", "Felitsa", and "Voyage". Just prior to starting the song "The End of August", Yanni explained that the song he was about to play was inspired by the end of a season -- "a time in his life which was a little depressing - which was nothing to laugh about - but was an truly inspired time in his life". Following that was "The Rain Must Fall". Other songs came from different parts of his life, some moody, some not - but all inspired. They included "Acroyali", "Desire", "Marching Season", "Within Attraction", "Aria", Niki Nana", "Standing in Motion", "Nostalgia", "The Storm" and "One Man's Dream". As said, the show was much more than a one-man keyboard show -- throughout the evening, Yanni continued to showcase each of the band member's talents with long solos. There was an amazing cello solo by Alexander Zhiroff, unlike anything I've everheard. Flugelhorn player Jason Carder showed that he truly mastered this instrument -- in fact, prior to performing his solo, Yanni described that Jason hits notes "never heard by anyone else in the world on this instrument", and after he hit that high note, Yanni applauded on stage. The two violinists, Mary Simpson and Benedikt Brydern, worked together as one - each playing off each other -- it just had to be seen to be appreciated. Victor Espinola on the harp was truly amazing - at one point, he actually picked it up and played like a guitar. The drum solo by Charlie Adams was more 15 minutes long and is a great example of how each individual contributor is spotlighted. After the show, I spoke with Yanni about the 12 folks he had with him on stage. He shared that each are masters and he loves giving them the opportunity to shine individually. He explained that they are all "the best in the world... that even though they all have big egos and strong personalities, I am very blessed that they all work and play together as a family." The highlight of the evening for me was the song "Nightingale". Just prior to performing this hit, Yanni explained that while he was in China, he was honored with the adoption of a female baby panda. He explained that "this honor has been reserved for countries only, rather than personalities until I was chosen... because of the inspiration and harmony that the the world gets from my music." Yanni explained why he named the panda after the Greek island of Santorini at the adoption ceremony in Chengdu. "Santorini includes the word 'irini', which in Greek, means 'peace'," Yanni said from the stage during the concert, "Like any proud father, I think that my panda is the most beautiful panda in the whole world. Long live Santorini!" Following this explanation, he shared that "Nightingale" was a song written specifically to be performed in China. He smiled and described that "there is a bird which sings so eloquently, I had to write a song about it." He then introduced Lauren Jelencovich, a vocalist touring with the band who is from West Palm Beach. She joined him on stage to sing the part of the Nightingale. The blend of her exquisite vocals and Yanni's music was indescribably beautiful! As he explained to me backstage after the concert, he does not read music. His comment: "This is true, but I have perfect pitch... besides, why should I write down the notes - music is not to be read, it is to be heard!" The over-capacity crowd at the Kravis Center couldn't get enough and demanded three encores. Yanni will return for one more performance at the Kravis on Wednesday before hitting the road with his world class band.