Search - Karen Marie Garrett :: It's About the Rose

Excellent follow-up to Allure of Sanctuary- Stephen Cairns a

S. Cairns | Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, United Kingdom | 01/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

""It's About the Rose" is the very impressive follow-up to "Allure of Sanctuary", and sees Karen Marie Garrett at her creative and original best. A year in the making, "It's About the Rose" features all-original recordings, and reunites Karen with the legendary Grammy-Award winner Will Ackerman as her producer.



There must be something about the opening tracks of Karen's CDs. Just as "Tip-Toe Dancer" was my favourite cut of "Allure of Sanctuary", so the first track hits the mark on her latest offering. The curiously titled "It's About the Rose in the Vase on the Table" gets the CD off to a wonderful start. This piece just flows along so effortlessly; it could last all day and I would not tire of it. Karen tells how originally she struggled with this track, but was inspired by a story about childhood she heard. Karen says, "I heard an interview with Matthew McConaughey, who spoke of his childhood and a lesson his mother would impart to a boy caught up in life's little dramas. She'd remind him it's really "about the rose in the vase on the table". I loved both the thought and the image- and returned to the song, which suddenly fell into place for me." The track has a delightful melody, and rolls along without a hint of the troubles the composer initially encountered.



Another favourite is the second cut of the CD- "Tally's Lullaby". Jointly composed with cellist Eugene Frisen (Grammy-Award winner), this is a mournful yet beautiful piece lamenting the passing of a fan's pet dog. This was in response to a letter Karen had received, explaining how "Simple Things" from "Allure of Sanctuary" had helped with the grieving process. Such is the power of Karen's music. Overwhelmed by the letter, the composer was inspired to write "Tally's Lullaby". The cello and piano are a partnership made in heaven in this piece, and I am sure Tally will be both relaxed and honoured in her final resting place.



"The Piano Called" is a piece which warrants repeated listening, initially reminding me of "Toll of War" from "Allure of Sanctuary". It quickly takes its own direction, however. A simple, pretty melody on solo-piano is the end-result of an improvisation late one evening when Karen felt her creative voice calling.



Another piece I really like is the album's fifth track, "Moon Night". Upbeat in comparison to other tracks, this is a spicy little number featuring Derrik Jordan on the djembe drum and violin. It conjures up visions of exotic settings. Perhaps that rose in the vase on the table has worked its magic, and romance is in the air. This is inspirational music, and has a Latin flavour. "Moon Night" is music to which to dance.



"Waiting" is a piece born out of frustration, whilst awaiting the results of medical tests. The left hand is used to represent the passing of time (ticking of a clock). The right hand captures the anxiety of the moment. Yet still Karen delivers a memorable melody- its positiveness generated, one would expect, by the welcome relief of the eventual results. As Karen explains to me, "I used the dynamics of both hands to express the intense conflict in being caught in such confinement."



Karen pays homage to both Beethoven and Chopin in Track 7, with "Beethoven, Chopin and the Rose". In the sleeve notes, Karen explains that she greatly admires both masters' works- "I wondered what it would feel like to combine an essence of both and yet retain a simple, touching melody". She certainly succeeds in doing this, and the end product is a lovely piece. Karen demonstrates once again that she is happy to draw upon her classical roots for inspiration.



"Tip-Toe Dancer" was arguably the most-loved composition of "Allure of Sanctuary", and the title returns here in a different form as Track 9, "Tip-Toe Dancer and the Sea Pearl". This time we move away from the ballerina, to a young boy on the beach one Sunday afternoon, dancing and twirling in delight of his newly-found treasure. The music has a playful quality, and Steve Schuch's violin is a welcome addition to the piece.



In Track 11, "Daydreams", the tempo is slowed right down. This is a reflective piece- music in which to immerse oneself in deep thought. Very beautiful, and with definite meditative qualities, Karen describes it as "a Summer idyll". A very simple track, and soporific in nature.



The album fittingly closes with "Finale of the Rose", a resurrection of the first track, which is explored further by Karen, with additional instrumental accompaniments. Will Ackerman plays the hopi drum and chime bars, Jeff Oster plays the flugal horn, Steve Schuch returns on violin, and Derrik Jordan provides additional percussion. The end-result showcases the beauty of the original melody in its finest form, and is a fitting way to close the CD.



"It's About the Rose" was recorded at Will Ackerman's Imaginary Road Studios in Vermont during 2006. A Steinway Concert Grand was used for the recording. The sound quality and production values are, as ever, impeccable.



With "It's About the Rose", Karen Marie Garrett shows continued artistic growth, revealing her creative qualities to the full, without losing that special gift for melody which makes her compositions so endearing to her ever-increasing legions of fans. A true gem of a CD- pure Piano Heaven.

"

CLASSICALLY-TRAINED PIANIST KAREN MARIE GARRETT COMPOSES ENT

Jake | 03/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"KAREN MARIE GARRETT

IT'S ABOUT THE ROSE



For her fourth album, pianist Karen Marie Garrett has created a hauntingly-beautiful CD of original contemporary instrumental music that contains contemporary classical and new age elements. IT'S ABOUT THE ROSE contains some solo piano pieces and also gentle duets with either cello (Eugene Friesen), violin (Steve Schuch or Derrik Jordan) or flugel-horn (Jeff Oster). These melodies are so captivating that the album went right to the very top of the national airplay chart. The CD was produced by famed guitarist and producer Will Ackerman, who also founded Windham Hill Records.



Garrett's background and training is classical music, and her first three albums contained some classical compositions. But now with the release of her fourth CD, IT'S ABOUT THE ROSE, you still hear her classical influences, but she penned all the material. The music includes melodic, structured solo piano numbers ("It's About the Rose in the Vase on the Table," "Beethoven Chopin and the Rose," "Impressions" and "Waiting") as well as free-spirited solo piano improvisations ("The Piano Called" and "Daydreams"). "Tally's Lullaby," a tribute to pets that have passed on, is a lovely piano-cello duet with Friesen (from the Paul Winter Consort). "Vinot and the Seabird" (with flugelhorn and vocals) was primarily inspired by Erik Satie, but also has Karen showing other classical influences including Beethoven and Pachabel. Garrett turned to Mozart and the local coffee shop for the inspiration behind "Café Espresso" which includes bass and percussion. According to Garrett, "Tip Toe Dancer and the Sea Pearl" (piano interacting with violin and bass), took its genesis from a moment on the beach when she saw a young child twirling with delight over a treasure found in a tide pool.



The melodies are memorable, the musicianship first-rate, and the production crisp and clear. There are plenty of contemporary instrumental pianists out there, but Karen Marie Garrett brings a little something extra to the table, perhaps a deeper level of emotionalism not commonly found.

"

From MainlyPiano.com

Kathy Parsons | Florence, OR United States | 01/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

""It's About the Rose" is Karen Marie Garrett's fourth recording to date, and it is stunning! Her previous release, "The Allure of Sanctuary," was also exceptional with its melodic emotional depth, but this is quite different. The pieces tend to be more improvised and come directly from the soul without a confining structure. Artists of this stature are able to freely yet cohesively communicate their musical thoughts, creating moods and wordless dialogs with their instruments. True artistry springs from this place, and if you've ever witnessed it, the experience is profound and mesmerizing. Most of these songs have a melancholy cast to them, with flowing left hand patterns combined with simple melodies and explorations on the right. Seven of the twelve tracks are solo piano, and the others feature Eugene Friesen on cello, Noah Wilding on wordless vocals, Jeff Oster on flugel horn, Derrik Jordan on percussion and violin, T-Bone Wolk on bass, producer Will Ackerman on percussion, Steve Schuch on violin, and Corin Nelsen on "piano string duding" - consummate artists, all. Garrett obviously took some major musical risks with this new release, but calls the time spent making the album the most creative period of her life - it shows. I don't often listen to a CD for the first time and keep saying, "Wow!" but that's what happened here. It's not the pianistic flash, but the depth of feeling and personal expression that draws you in and won't let go.



The CD opens with "It's About the Rose in the Vase on the Table." The title refers to a story about dealing with life's little dramas. The notes of the piece aren't complicated, but the nakedness of the emotions expressed clearly indicate what an artist we are experiencing here. Wow! "Tally's Lullaby" was inspired by a letter sent to Garrett about a very special dog who had died and how one of Garrett's previous songs had helped the family cope with the loss. Overwhelmed, Garrett composed this piece with tears in her eyes. A duet for piano and cello, Garrett and Eugene Friesen are truly a match made in heaven. "The Piano Called" is an improvisational piece that came about one night touching the piano keys and listening to what the piano had to say. Gorgeous! "Moon Night" is piano backed by djembe and violin. Stepping up the pace a bit, this piece has an exotic quality and a gentle energy. "Beethoven, Chopin, and the Rose" combines an essence of both composers with Garrett's own simple melody, and the results are evocative and haunting. "Tip Toe Dancer and the Sea Pearl" is much lighter and is infused with childlike joy and innocence. "Cafe Espresso" is the most rhythmic and experimental piece on the album. Playful and energetic, it expresses a "happy buzz." "Finale of the Rose" returns to the original theme for further discovery of its coda. An ensemble piece for piano, percussion, flugel horn, and violin, the musicians bring their passions to the point of heartbreak. I can't imagine anyone not being intensely moved by this piece.



With "It's About the Rose," Karen Marie Garrett has established herself in the upper echelons of contemporary pianists. May she always wear her heart on her musical sleeve! WOW!"