Catherine Marie Charlton, pianist, composer, improviser

One thing that any piano music fan will come away with from listening to this recording is (or should be) an appreciation for Charlton's astute control of nuance and tone, exemplified by songs which can hover in the air like wisps of smoke or explode in a cavalcade of drama and power.

Catherine has a very “intimate” touch in her keyboard style on these 6 improvisations. ...one of the most heartfelt and engaging pieces was “Introspection“… simple, but beautiful! ...The music she plays here shows clear talent and totally involved energy…

Sometimes less truly is more, as exemplified by Catherine Marie Charlton’s latest album, a short but effective collection of six piano performances.
Of the six tracks, Charlton composed two and improvised the rest, but you wouldn’t know it from listening to the album. Every song has a solid and intricate structure to it. None of the tracks meander; they’re all tight and to the point, all the while displaying a sense of playfulness and quiet beauty.

The sophistication of the music and its performance belies the brevity of the recording time - this does not sound like a hurried project. ...The six compositions are extremely melodic, emotionally intense and far removed from the usual new age blandness...

I think the concept of “quality over quantity” is appropriate to mention in that, while the six songs on this recording clock in at just under 25 minutes, it is so rich in content that it doesn’t feel like an abbreviated work by the time you are finished listening to it. ...Catherine has an interesting style on the piano that draws equally from new age, jazz, and classical...the way in which she integrates these influences is what makes her special. Overall, her compositions are quite sensitive and lovely, however, every once in a while you hear something in them that makes you aware that she is not afraid to tread closer to the edge musically and let her more left-of-center jazz inclinations show...

Piano improvisation at its finest, this album has only one flaw. It needs to be much longer. ...I was left with a burning sense of longing for it to continue.

...“The Sun Is Shining, The Birds Are Singing” is a breath of cool autumn air. ...Charlton’s fingers fly across the keyboard, painting a canvas of color in your mind so lavish, you want to fall in and never come out.

...“Introspection” is walking by the side of a lake, pondering your day. ...The music takes over your soul and you are soaring.

...“Lullaby for Swingtime” is a song that is new and at once achingly familiar. ...Letting the joy for life spiral up inside you like sunshine in your soul...

Pianist Catherine Marie Charlton’s unique instrumental voice comes through with powerful clarity on The Undershore...

“The Undershore” is Catherine Marie Charlton’s fourth album to date, and I think it’s her best. The music is complex enough to be interesting with frequent playings at full attention, and soothing enough to be a very pleasant backdrop for other activities."

"Take a visit with pianist and composer Catherine Marie Charlton, meet some new friends, and revisit some old friends. You will not be disappointed. Her new album, The Undershore, is a mixture of solo piano works and a few instrumentals that gives contemplative music its definition. Charlton has a passion for her music and it is evident by the power she uses in her playing, her watchwords being pianissimo forte."

"With new age piano albums a dime a dozen, it's a challenge to find an artist who reaches beyond the watery backdrops and excessive arpeggios and follows through with the most important aspect of any style of writing- the musicality. Here is an artist who understands that when audiences want new age, they aren't necessarily willing to give up the musical direction and expression that leads and guides the ear. These multi-dimensional pieces by Charlton have harmonic and structural roots in Classical piano repertoire, giving her work an insightful and beautifully intricate quality. True, her music is still relaxing, soothing and freeing but you will remain engaged all the same. The antithesis to rambly, aimless new age frivolity."