Solo Piano Diary is the debut release from Swedish pianist/composer Christian Lindquist, and what a beauty it is! Quiet, introspective, and deeply personal, the music is one man’s quest for self-discovery. In the spring of 2007, Lindquist started sitting at the piano before breakfast, playing “something,” and recording the results before heading off to work as the business developer for a global marine company. Most of the pieces are simply titled with the dates they were created, and many have been posted on Lindquist’s MySpace page as something of a musical “blog” or diary. He has never made any changes or edits to any of the music, which is astounding considering their cohesiveness, polish, and style. The twenty-five pieces are mostly short (1 1/2 - 3 1/2 minutes in length), but are perfect in their brevity, conveying all they need to say without a lot of frills or fanfare. Christian Lindquist is an artist whose music expresses almost as much with the spaces between the notes as the notes themselves. This is music to get lost in, hoping never to be found again!

There are no weak tracks on Solo Piano Diary, but I do have some favorites. It begins with “Five,” a gently flowing piece that exudes calm and contentment. “2007-Nov-04” is on the melancholy side, letting emotion create the music spontaneously, telling its story honestly and without inhibition. As the title implies, “myJoy” is warm and blissfully happy - musical sunshine. “2007-Dec-16” is very classical in style, elegant and direct. “Butterfly” is my favorite piece on the CD. Delicate, graceful, and serene, it’s absolutely gorgeous! “mySpirit” goes deep within and finds a place of peace and solace. “2007-Sep-01” is darker and more exploratory, with a quiet melody and some very effective use of the deep bass notes on the piano. “2007-Sep-11” also has a quiet voice, but seems a bit more optimistic. “LongTimeNoSee” has a movie theme quality, reflective and a little jazz-tinged. “BeWhoYouAre” is another strong favorite. Deeply emotional and uplifting, it’s a gentle pep-talk from a close friend. “2008-Mar-24” has a wonderful flow and soothing quality. The last Diary entry was “2008-Jun-06,” kind of a musical parting hug.

Solo Piano Diary could well be on my favorites list for 2008. It has been a phenomenal year for new music, and this is one of the best for quiet solo piano that is full of warmth and emotion. Not only has Christian Lindquist been able to discover more of his own inner world, but he will help many others to do so as well. Very highly recommended! The CD is available at solopianodiary.com and cdbaby.com.