Laura Fisher’s musical mind is delightfully and refreshingly eclectic. She’s been in a variety of bands that range from math rock (the recently dissolved Matron) to what Bandcamp refers to as “dreamscape grunge” (Tranche), and her solo albums see her embracing indie rock, dream pop, as well as plenty of excuses for her to sit in front of her beloved piano. A classically trained pianist, her 2021 album APOPHENIA was described as a love letter to both her hometown of New Orleans and her childhood roots in classical piano. Her latest album, Celestina, sees her revisiting that style and intersecting it with improvisation.
Fisher describes Celestina as “digging deep into my classical music roots as well as my slow burn penchant for improv”. It’s a relatively brief journey – one track, lasting just over 23 minutes – and is available via Bandcamp as a digital download and a limited cassette release. But what Fisher expresses during that run is nothing short of astonishing.
Celestina was “ignited with the magic of a gifted hour of recording time”, according to the record’s Bandcamp page. While that description may conjure up the image of Fisher rushing through an improv piece as the studio clock ticks away, it’s actually quite far from that. Like the best long-form improvisers – especially ones who are flying solo and not depending on “locking in” with other musicians – Fisher glides through a series of ideas and subgenres.
The piece begins as a slow, deliberate unspooling of notes and chords, skirting avenues of classical and jazz, and eventually moves into dissonant, playful areas. In between the lush, expansive chords, Fisher creates mini-melodies that sound like countless great ideas that could easily wend their way into future compositions. In terms of long-form solo piano improvisation, it’s not too far off the mark to compare Fisher’s work here to seminal Keith Jarrett albums like The Köln Concert or Bremen/Lausanne. Granted, Jarrett had a much larger palette to work from, stretching past the one-hour mark and, in some cases, over multiple nights in front of audiences, but that spirit is definitely here in Celestina.
The best improvisers are the ones whose imagination seems limitless, and nothing seems off the table. With Celestina, Laura Fisher has not only added another unique entry to her compelling discography but also created a piece that is impressive on a technical level and a captivating, deeply enjoyable listen.