Jim Brickman did not cover his music with styles and technical skills, but mainly moods and atmospheres. You wont be expecting accelerating tunes and / or tragic moody piano moments in most of his pieces - you wont even expect scales or variations that most experts would do. This does not stop him from composing the type of contemporary music that people can distinctively know it is his own - and yet to be able to stand in the frontline of pop contemporary artist.

Brickman began coloring his instrumental records with occasional vocal performances of his melodies. His 1997 collection, Picture This, included a track sung by country star Martina McBride. "Valentine" rocketed up the charts at both country and A/C stations and became the overnight theme song for that most romantic of holidays. Brickman issued his Christmas CD, The Gift, at the end of the year. This time his guest vocalists were Susan Ashton and Collin Raye, who added a solo version of the title tune to his million-selling hits collection. The song became another instant holiday favorite and a hit on three different charts when it was embraced by the contemporary-Christian market and honored with a Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association

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