This album was a long time in coming, so song selection has significant meaning for me. Ilearned Fran Dance from the late great Chuck Carter when he invited me into his quartetmany years ago. Chuck loved all styles of music and was particularly fond of playing thelesser-known. Alone Together was a tune I first played in a local trio playing privateevents. When Summer Comes crept up on me while listening to one of the late OscarPeterson’s first recordings after he had recovered from his stroke. Its tender melody compelledme to learn it. Schelle Intermezzo was written while studying composition withDr. Michael Schelle and was a break from working on a composition for orchestra. Air waswritten with my old band-mate and friend Jim Albrecht back in the early 1980s. (Jim wrotesome beautiful lyrics for the tune, but you don’t want to hear me sing!) Chas Carter is atune I wrote for the Chuck Carter quartet. He played it on bass clarinet to my utter delight.Effection Confection is an experiment with Dave Weber, my engineer, who set up a bit ofdigital distortion for me to react to and create this spontaneous improvisation. LauraLauraLaura!is a snapshot of my loving, beautiful and supportive wife of 18 years and isintended to capture a bit of her personality. Rosie Rosebud is an impression of our sweetold dog we rescued from the Humane Society. Her physical limitations are outweighedby her sweet disposition. My One and Only Love became “our song” when Laura andI were on honeymoon in Boston, visiting a friend who knew the pianist at a piano bar westopped in. I was invited to play something and it was the first tune that came to mind.I’ve played it for Laura on special occasions ever since. Dear Heart has been a favorite ofmy Dad’s for a very long time and I’ve played it for him whenever I can. Edelweiss is frommy Mom’s favorite musical, Sound of Music, so it seemed only fitting to put the two songstogether for the two people who have done so much for me throughout my life.