Maiden's Voyage is pianist/composer Catherine Marie Charlton’s tenth release in her twenty-plus year recording career, and marks her impressive debut as a producer of an album of complex scope, encompassing ten years of recordings and a full jazz band. The album arcs gracefully through a variety of orchestrations and musical styles ranging from abstract contemporary jazz to Charlton’s trademark spacious meditations. The common motif is the artist's identifiable sound—passion, strength, and power, flowing interchangeably with tender expressiveness. Mastered by Grammy® winning engineer/producer Phil Nicolo (Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Bob Dylan, Lauryn Hill), Maiden's Voyage represents a decade-long collaboration between Charlton and recording/mixing engineer Eric Troyer, who brings sensibilities as a consummate musician in his own right (ELO Part II/The Orchestra). Guest musicians on the album include Philadelphia free jazz legend Elliott Levin (Cecil Taylor, Marshall Allen) on flute and tenor saxophone on “Birds Flower” and “The Lonely Cobbler”, ambient jazz flugelhorn player Jeff Oster (currently making waves with his star-studded album Next, on which Charlton appears on several tracks) on “Autumn Leaves”, “Nature Boy” and the piano/flugelhorn duet “Sepia Moon”, Barry Green, principal bassist of the Cincinnati Symphony for 28 years on “Which You Which World”, and throughout the album, personnel from Charlton’s live shows, jazz veterans bassist Steve Meashey and drummer/percussionist J. Jody Janetta. Of her partnership with Janetta, Charlton states “Fifteen years ago I was a solo classical pianist starting to explore improvisation but not yet familiar with classically-influenced improvised music on European jazz record labels such as ECM Records or Winter & Winter. Apparently Jody heard in my playing some similarity to this type of music which had been a big inspiration to him, and asked to perform with me. 'Why would a drummer ask to play with me?' I wondered, but I agreed to meet him and our musical connection was magic from the beginning. Jody introduced me to his Euro-jazz record collection and we went on to perform as a piano-percussion duo for many years. We parted ways while I focused on my young family and solo introspective releases Red Leaf Grey Sky and River Flow. “Beneath the Dream” on Maiden's Voyage is our reunion: the one-take improvisation was the first track captured on the first day we had seen each other after four years apart.” In addition to seven originals, Maiden's Voyage features Charlton’s striking improvisation on Eden Ahbez’ “Nature Boy”, merging her haunting lyricism with Sun Ra-inspired chromatic complexity, “Adios Nonino” by Astor Piazzolla, a passionate homage to Charlton’s years as an Argentine tango dancer, Erik Satie’s ethereal "Gnossienne No. 4” (featuring a mesmerizing cymbal performance by Janetta), and two deeply emotional versions of the jazz standard “Autumn Leaves.” The album’s only non-improvisatory piece, Alberto Ginastera’s “Dance of the Graceful Maiden (Danza de la moza donosa)” marks the start of the pianist’s “voyage” from classical score interpretation to the seven spontaneous compositions/free improvisations spread throughout the album. A highlight of these originals is the subdued solo piano number “All That I Feel,” with chord voicings and introspection reminiscent of pianist Bill Evans. Addressing her creative process, Charlton states “When I improvise at the piano, my goal is to embody mindfulness. In order to musically express my inner emotions and touch listeners’ hearts through my own vulnerability, I must surrender to flow and trust completely in all my years of practice. It’s about self-acceptance—not caring what “genre” of music pours from my fingers, letting go of judgement of “wrong notes“, and staying present in the moment without over-thinking the journey's next steps. I credit much of my approach to the teachings of my long-time mentor and inspiration David Darling [ECM Records, Hearts of Space, Wind Over the Earth Records, etc] and his organization Music for People. As a young pianist, it was hugely influential when David told me that my passion for creating music transcended time and space and that my commitment to the moment was impressive. At the time I wasn’t even sure what that meant, but over the years I’ve come to realize that it is one of the highest compliments one improviser could give to another. I am so grateful he saw this in me and encouraged me on this path.” Catherine Marie Charlton’s recording Red Leaf, Grey Sky won the Independent Music Awards for Instrumental EP and was also awarded “Best Instrumental Album—Piano” in the 8th Annual Zone Music Reporter Awards, as voted on by broadcasters worldwide. The artist has received grants and residencies from the Delaware Division of the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, and is on the prestigious roster of Steinway Artists. She is currently composing a body of works inspired by the Wyeth family of artists in collaboration with the Brandywine River Museum of Art in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and esteemed producer Phil Nicolo, with contributions from additional Grammy® winners producer Will Ackerman and cellist David Darling. When asked about Charlton’s work, Phil Nicolo effusively states “I’m a huge fan. Catherine's music touches people, including myself, so deeply; I've seen it bring some to tears. Combine that level of musicianship with the stellar arrangements and production quality heard on Maiden's Voyage and you get musical magic."