The Refuge – 18 Original Songs for Solo Piano by Eric Thor Karlstrom

All piano songs were composed and performed by Eric Thor Karlstrom. Songs 3 and 18 were recorded in 1997 on a Bosendorfer Concert Grand piano at the University of Wyoming Concert Hall, in Laramie, Wyoming. Songs 1 and 5 were recorded in 2004 at Don Richmond’s Howlin’ Dog Recording Studio in Alamosa, Colorado on a Roland digital piano. The remaining fourteen songs were recorded in 1989 on a Steinway Concert Grand Piano at the University of Wyoming Concert Hall. These (1989) songs were released on a cassette tape entitled “Meditations for Twentieth Century Pilgrims.” Because only a few of these original cassettes remain and because we are now well into the 21st century, I thought that these particular recorded versions of my songs deserved to be preserved and heard. Voila! To compile this present selection, recording engineer, Don Richmond (Howlin Dog Recording Studio) and I listened to all the piano recordings and takes that I did in 1989, 1997 and 2004. I believe that this present selection includes the best of these takes. The majority of these versions are “straight” (unedited) takes, while the rest were edited slightly.

This CD is meant to complement my two other piano CDs, “The River” and “Wyoming Waltz.” A music professor once told me regarding my kind of “improvisational” piano music; much depends on the particular performance and the way the songs are played. Thus, each performances of the songs may be quite different in tempo, mood, etc. Hence, it is with pride that I offer this present compilation. And I hope that these songs will eventually reach many happy ears.