Mighty Kate

New York's Katy Pfaffl is a bundle of songwriting and performing talent, playing the piano, violin, guitar and her own vocal pipes, with authority. Her self-titled album introduces you to Katy in a way that makes you want to know her personally. The album fits neatly into a few genre's, but if you like pop, jazz and acoustic music, this album is worth sampling. Her voice is velvety smooth, lilting and floating easily through an impressive vocal range. The songs themselves are image-rich, meaningful without being aloof or whiny. To hear her only, with no visual aids (like her very adorable pictures), you believe you're hearing a mature chanteuse with years of tales to tell. In actuality you are listening to a relatively young woman with enough talent for a cabaret full of female vocalists. My picks: "Mountains" and "Walk Away." Sample some tracks on MP3.com - Editor

January 4, 2002 - Featured Songwriter of the Month for JANUARY -- KATY PFAFFL

"Somewhere amongst the beautiful melodies and the optimistic lyrics, there lies a pinch of unresolved melancholy. Not detracting at all from the purpose of the album, it merely keeps the whole CD based in reality.

The self-titled album is a rather poignant piece of work that showcases Katy’s unique vocal approach as well as her fresh style of songwriting. Hopefully we will hear more from this gifted you woman's talent in the years to come. We need more visionaries like Katy Pfaffl." - Jan Best

NYC singer-songwriter Katy Pfaffl (pronounced FAH-ful) has released a debut self-titled CD that will take your breath away.

Fortunately, the 27-year-old enchantress has enough breath for all of us. Described in her press kit as a pint-sized powerhouse, Katy sings with a voice that's nothing short of awesome. Full of emotion and passion, Katy spans the entire scope of musical styles, concentrating on the fusion of jazz, pop and opera with some folk blended in there somewhere. She's got the versatility of someone like fellow NYC singer Lucy Bonilla, the breathy sensuality of Karin Bergquist and the earthiness and vocal range of Julia Fordham. While on the subject of vocals, her backup singer Tiffany May provides some beautiful harmonies while Katy's own voice is overdubbed on other tunes. At times, those harmonies conjure up images of a Maryland duo, Red Letter Day (on the opener "My Favorite Place"). At other times, it's almost like hearing the Andrews Sisters, as on "Walk Away." (Talk about being all over the map!)

Each of the 11 tunes is full of energy, no matter how any of them are played. The instrumentation is precise, well-produced and allows Katy's voice to stay out front. Scott Sharrard's sweet ringing electric guitar is the sound that stands out most on several tunes, as on "My Favorite Place." And Scott's guitar is featured quite prominently on "Disconnected," which, if you use a tiny bit of imagination, you'd swear Carlos Santana was in the studio.

There's even a way cool extended piano (Scott Chasolen) and bass (Justin Wallace) jam on "So Far Away," where Katy does this incredible high, vocalizing that will just take you to another place. (And it sounds as if she's going there, too.) She does it yet again on "Inside."

"Floating," is sung like it's title. Flowing, sensually -- makes you want to float (at least until the song ramps up a couple of notches a bit later).

Lyrically, it's also good. This is a voice, though, that almost makes you forget to listen to any words. The best appear near the end of the list. "Fly," is an optimistic relationship tune where she sings of being unable to wait to reach the sky in spite of seemingly difficult circumstances.

"Everything Happens" is perhaps the most beautiful of all the tunes -- melodically, instrumentally and vocally. Everything's just put out there honestly and purely:

Katy really sings this as if it's what she's all about. And paralleling that, in the very first song, she sings about "singing to release my heart."

If this isn't pure passionate release, what is? Wanna go someplace wonderful? Listen to this CD. - Les Reynolds

"...Local singer/songwriting ivory- and violin- tickling butterfly named Katy Pfaffl... has that ineffable 'it' that defines the true ones, the gifted ones, the aliens."

- Lonn Friend

"...Local singer/songwriting ivory- and violin- tickling butterfly named Katy Pfaffl... has that ineffable 'it' that defines the true ones, the gifted ones, the aliens."

- Lonn Friend

“When Katy Pfaffl became Mighty Kate, it was presumably to skirt the trouble of repeating her consonant-heavy name to everyone she met. But heroic connotiations of her pseudonym are no accident – there is something genuinely superhuman in her constant swapping between violin, piano and guitar, not to mention the towers of sound she builds in her songs…” - Daoud Tyler-Ameen, WNYC

“When Katy Pfaffl became Mighty Kate, it was presumably to skirt the trouble of repeating her consonant-heavy name to everyone she met. But heroic connotiations of her pseudonym are no accident – there is something genuinely superhuman in her constant swapping between violin, piano and guitar, not to mention the towers of sound she builds in her songs…” - Daoud Tyler-Ameen, WNYC

“Mighty Kate is a high energy, unabashedly emotional album sung with great skill and conviction. The production is flawless, as great rhythm tracks partner up with some of the best string arrangements I’ve heard in years. Katy Pfaffl has written a gem, a collection with energy, variety and heart. The album deserves to be listened to in its entirety to appreciate the full range of her talent.” - Greg Calbi, Sterling Sound

“Mighty Kate is a high energy, unabashedly emotional album sung with great skill and conviction. The production is flawless, as great rhythm tracks partner up with some of the best string arrangements I’ve heard in years. Katy Pfaffl has written a gem, a collection with energy, variety and heart. The album deserves to be listened to in its entirety to appreciate the full range of her talent.” - Greg Calbi, Sterling Sound