This is Charity Chan’s second disc for the Ambiances Magnétiques (AM) label and I have had the good fortune to hear her play live with AM All-Stars at The Stone last year. This is a solo piano effort and it sounds as if Charity has been working hard at developing her own sonic-world. The sounds she evokes from the piano are carefully chosen, occasionally dark and often most haunting. It sounds as if Ms. Chan is playing a harpsichord at times, from the way the strings are plucked. There are moments when it is difficult to tell what exactly she is playing since some of the sounds are somewhat alien and not very piano-like. Each piece seems to cast a spell and often evokes ghosts or floating spirits. The production work on this disc is especially fine, richly dynamic, capturing the piano in all of its glory. This is refined gem that should be savored for a calm, rainy day.
