Earth is one of four CDs in Peter Kater’s “Elements Series,” and features Kater on piano and keyboards, Mike Hamilton on guitars, and Richard Hardy on flutes and saxophone. The music is ambient and ethereal, and the piano plays a much smaller part on this CD than on “Water,” which is also part of this series. Hamilton’s beautiful guitar work comes to the front of several of the tracks, with Kater layering other sounds with synths and sequencers to create a peaceful, serene atmosphere. Hardy’s various bamboo and Native American flutes are warm, “earthy,” and reminiscent of some of Kater’s previous collaborations with Native American artists. The combination of flute, guitar, and piano is fairly unusual and is very effective. The synth washes add subtle colors and contribute to the sense of open space and vastness. The mood throughout the CD is peaceful and calming - truly an understatement!

The CD opens appropriately enough with “Sunrise,” a quietly haunting flute solo that melts into “Celestine,” which adds the guitar, synth, and piano - a gorgeous piece that all but floats on a cloud. The next eight tracks are a prelude and then a full piece for each of the four seasons, beginning with “Summer.” All are stunning in their simplicity and beauty. The closing track is “Sunset,” which, like “Sunrise,” features the flute, but this time has synth behind it - a peaceful close to an outstanding album.

Earth is available at online and retail outlets that carry Real Music releases. Recommended!