Each Measure Feature: Karen Salicath Jamali

FEATURE

We’ve all goggled at the impressive so-called one-shot movies. What about a one-shot album? Karen Salicath Jamali’s latest LP, Dreams of Angels, is exactly that. Released on November 22, 2024, this 16-track album was recorded in the pre-dawn hours of the morning with only two devices on her 80-year-old Steinway. While the method conjures a punk-rock idealism of musical rebellion, Salicath Jamali’s process couldn't be more nuanced.

After listening to the album I was inspired to explore more of the story behind this remarkable artist. There was much to be found because, in a word, Salicath Jamali is truly impressive. Originally a sculptor, painter, and photographer, she began playing piano after a head trauma in 2012. Three years later she began to hear music in her dreams and started to play what she heard bringing her to the present: an accomplished pianist whose deeply personal music continues to awe listeners and spaces worldwide.

Reading Salicath Jamali’s background story is inspiring in its generous sharing of her profound connection to her artistic pursuits. Re-listening to the album it's easy to see her inspiration and voice weaving together all the facets of her art. I saw the weathered patina of her bronze sculptures speaking to the honesty and history that her music reflects. Minimal detail in both photography and painting is mimicked in the admirable editing of her album, with true form celebrated in its sublime imperfections.

While individual tracks have gained singular attention such as Angel Raphael and White Angel, it was the experience of listening to the entire collection continuously that reached me the most. Every song moves a step deeper into a calmer state. The weight and motion of her playing style give personality but also inspire movement and depth, moving through different chapters from the tender first notes of Angel Uriel to the rolling minor tones of Angel Michael.

Dreams of Angels is a stunning album of intentionality, peacefulness, and harmony brought together in the image of her at 5am, leaning over her piano with eyes closed, playing as if a medium for something greater. For that is the experience of this album; each track is a rippling expression of beauty and care that flow into each other with difference but unity like a chorus of angels.

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