Errollyn Wallen - Errollyn (2004)

Composer Errollyn Wallen unleashes her uniquely eclectic and sophisticated compositional style on a set of songs and solo works for piano, on her eponymous CD, Errollyn. In contrast to her critically acclaimed debut recording on Avie, The Girl in my Alphabet (AV 0006), which runs the gamut from chamber music for cello and piano to larger scale ensemble works, Errollyn finds the singer-songwriter in an intimate setting, alone with her keyboard, laying bare her musical and poetic brilliance. But the link is Errollyn’s originality, her music embracing nearly every musical stream imaginable, moving deftly from blues to gospel, minimalism to jazz, African influences, serialism and avant-garde, with a freshness that never ceases to fascinate.

Errollyn says, “This album is truly me – a glorious celebration of the “unfitting-in” ness that has always been my hallmark. This album includes my songs, stripped down to their essence – voice and piano – and solo piano works. Stravinsky once said that the piano was the fulcrum of his ideas; so it is with me. This album has been both a joy and a luxury to make and is the personal voice of the composer as both interpreter and creator.”