Pianist Jim Brickman says it's possible to build a career around concert-hall-sized shows and then scale back to smaller venues, but it's tough to go the opposite direction. "You can come down from there, but you can't go up to there," says Brickman, who will do a holiday concert at Heinz Hall, Downtown, on Monday. Brickman, a pianist, singer and composer, says he can appreciate how his melodic, New Age-y music fits well in a cozier room. "People like the intimacy and feeling close to the music," he says. "At least, that's what they tell me." For now, Heinz Hall-size shows are the mainstay of his work. He does some smaller jobs, but they tend to have their own roles. His Sunday stop at Border's Books & Music in Monroeville, for example, is a promotional event. And in October, he visited Dowe's on 9th, Downtown, as part of a WQED-TV pledge drive. Brickman's concert shows tend to be in bigger settings - but they aren't big in size. The show Monday will feature him, singer Anne Cochran and electric violinist Tracy Silverman. There is no orchestra, no rhythm section, no backup choir. And that is the way he wants it. "The music comes out of each personality," he says. Brickman says he would find it uncomfortable working even with just a rhythm section because he wants to have the freedom to present his own music. He says his shows tend to be "spontaneous" in the tunes they present, but are far from the spirit or improvisational nature of jazz. A Cleveland native, Brickman made his debut solo album in 1994 and has had four Gold-selling albums since. The 1999 album, "Destiny," sold more than 500,000 copies, lifting him above the 5 million mark in career sales. This show, obviously, will be built around Christmas music, but it also will feature some of his better-known tunes. The concert also will include "You," the hit from his current album, "Love Songs & Lullabies." On the recording, "You" is sung by Jane Krakowski, the actress from "Ally McBeal." On tour, it's an offering from Cochran. The Christmas shows create a different kind of concert, Brickman says. "In these shows, I'm playing a lot of stuff that is not by me," he says, "and that is kind of rare." But he says he enjoys the diversion, because it's his "favorite time of the year to perform." It could be one of his favorite times of the year overall. He has a full schedule of jobs, which started the day after Thanksgiving and runs until New Year's Eve. And the audiences are good, too. "There's a very warm feeling this time of year," he says. "People seem to really get into the shows around Christmas."

Jim Brickman

With Anne Cochran and Tracy Silverman 7:30 p.m. Monday $29.50, $34.50, $39.50, $49.50 and $59.50 Heinz Hall, Downtown (412) 392-4900 Also: 4 p.m. Sunday. Borders Books & Music, 200 Mall Blvd., Monroeville. Free. (412) 374-9772.

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