Although he had been enjoying an increasingly successful career as a performer and songwriter for quite some time on his own terms, 28 year old Shaun Barrowes decided in 2007 to join the hundreds of thousands of contestants hoping to become the next American Idol. Although he didn't reach the final level of the competition, Barrowes did make it to Hollywood, placing among the show's Final 48, and he says that losing probably did more than winning could have done to help move him toward crafting his new CD, Big Bang Theory, which will drop on September 23.

“American Idol basically allotted me five months of 'vacation time,' during which I got back in shape, fine tuned my vocal and piano skills, and read up on the changing music industry, preparing my mind for what was to come. I recharged my batteries, as I was a little burnt out from a 6 month tour I had booked and promoted myself," he explains.

The results of that recharge can be heard on Barrowes' Big Bang Theory, a solid cross-over CD that bridges the musical span between jazz and pop sensibilities. Featuring 12 original compositions, Big Bang Theory emphasizes Barrowes' talent at crafting songs with engaging melodies and affecting lyrics which reflect the confluence of influences that Barrowes claims as significant to the formation of his own, original style: Billy Joel, early Michael Jackson, Sting and Gershwin. “Sting gave me a new appreciation for song development, new arrangement styles and lyrical depth, and Michael Jackson's passionate singing and dancing were very inspiring and still help to fuel my own passion," says Barrowes. “Gershwin was a brilliant songwriter and composer and his style has rubbed off on me as well."

Barrowes' approach to playing piano was greatly influenced by Billy Joel, who, he says, “inspired me to keep pounding on the keys. Because I'm such a hard hitter (I'm known as 'Hammer Hands') the phrase 'tickle the ivories' really doesn't apply to me."

Big Bang Theory's tunes range from energetic, swinging numbers ("Hop, Skip and a Jump") to poignant ballads ("In My Back Pocket" and “I Still Loved You") to such romantic offerings as “When I Take Your Hand." During a recent appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show, Celine Dion, who is certainly no stranger to well crafted songs, said that hearing “When I Take Your Hand" made her want to renew her wedding vows. And while music critics have begun to draw comparisons between Barrowes and Jamie Cullum, another hard-hitting pianist and vocalist who stylistically rides the pendulum that sways between rock, pop, and jazz, Barrowes' style is just as close to Coldplay and John Mayer as it is to Cullum or Michael Buble.

With the upcoming release of Big Bang Theory, Shaun Barrowes is poised to break into the musical mainstream in a way that he never could have achieved had he become part of the American Idol machine - on his own terms. “I've waited 12 years to achieve this. And for me, it all came together with a Big Bang, literally, as I pounded on the keys, the drummer crashed the cymbals, the bassist and guitarist strummed and the sax player wailed."

Big Bang Theory will be available at iTunes and other online retailers.