It's About Love - EP

Mention the name Skywalker, and some of the biggest movies of all time immediately come to mind. Well, Karen Marie Garrett’s album, “It’s About Love,” was recorded at Skywalker Sound Studios on the grounds of Skywalker Ranch in the San Francisco Bay area. Karen was also blessed to have her album produced and mixed at Skywalker by multiple GRAMMY winner Leslie Ann Jones, whose credits include working with Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis and Quincy Jones, Jane Fonda, Holly Near, and a very long list of other major artists, as well as feature films and video game soundtracks. The album opens with a heartwarming piece called “Abbie Marie” that was inspired by sweet memories of her adorable black Labrador puppy. The composition is a duet between Karen and the soulful cello work of Emil Miland, of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Karen’s piano playing on this piece is spacious, leaving ample room for give and take in the musical conversation with Emil. That dialog between them continues on the next song, which is the title track. I appreciated Karen’s sense of dynamics in knowing when to speak softly on the piano and when to be more passionate in her musical statements. On the third track, “Deschutes River Sunrise,” the duo expands to a trio to include noted recording artist Nancy Rumbel on oboe. A composition called “Another Time,” is a piano solo that provides an introspective look back at an earlier time of Karen’s life. It’s a reflective piece with a bit of a wistful air that allows Karen’s heartfelt composing and piano playing to stand out unaccompanied, revealing much of the emotion that inspires her writing. The album concludes with an equally emotional piece entitled “Mother’s Prayer.” This beautiful and moving song starts out as a piano solo, but adds a wonderful new element as it evolves – the wordless angelic vocals of Desiree Goyette. Karen’s music is often understated yet filled with deep feeling and quiet grace. And I appreciated the perfectly balanced interplay between her and the accompanists. This 5-song mini album doesn’t feel abbreviated in the least, but feels like full and satisfying listening experience that provides just enough of a glimpse into the artistry of this talented composer and pianist to make me look forward to her next recording.

After capturing the hearts and ears of so many piano lovers (including mine!) with her first two albums of original music, Karen Marie Garrett went off the radar several years ago. We did an interview in 2007 and stayed in touch for awhile after that, so I knew she had left Washington State, but I didn’t know anything else until I had the wonderful surprise of receiving her new five-selection EP for review. "The Allure of Sanctuary" (2005) and "It’s About the Rose" (2007) are both still very compelling listening with the warmth and sincerity that comes only when an artist creates from the heart, and I’m happy to say that Karen hasn’t lost a note in her long absence. She expresses more in twenty minutes than most do in an hour or more - if ever. Karen is joined on three of the five tracks by cellist Emil Miland, one by oboist Nancy Rumbel, and one by vocalist Desiree Goyette; one of the five pieces is a piano solo. Lyrical, graceful, poignant, evocative, and passionate are words that come to mind while listening to this music, and the album as a whole feels very much like the return of a good friend who had to go away for awhile. "It’s About Love" begins with “Abbie Marie,” a gorgeous duet for piano and cello (Emil Miland). Gently bittersweet, the graceful flow of this piece will set your mind to daydreaming about drifting clouds and warm breezes. The title track is also a duet for cello and piano - is there a more soulful duo than these two instruments? The sound of the cello is said to be the closest to the human voice, so it’s no wonder that, in the right hands, it goes straight to the heart. “Deschutes River Sunrise” brings in world-class oboist Nancy Rumbel (also from WA) for a piano/cello/oboe trio that soars with all the colors and beauty of an early morning by the water. The one piano solo, “Another Time,” goes to a darker place in a soliloquy of deep emotion and profound honesty. “Mother’s Prayer” begins as a piano solo, later adding the wordless vocals of Desiree Goyette, underscoring the depth and sincerity of a mother’s love. As brief as this album is, there is no shortage of artistry, beauty, or emotion. Welcome back, Karen Marie Garrett! You were missed! "It’s About Love" is very enthusiastically recommended!