Album Notes

anton and dan eschew pretense. despite their sparse instrumentation there's no gimmick here, simply two musicians who are comfortable saying exactly what they want to say. the level of communication is intense, and the music vibrates with the kind of personal honesty that characterizes true art. on stage, the duo is unassuming. dan frankowski has the calm demeanor of a philosopher, and anton ptak closes his eyes, sinking in to his flannel threads with bohemian contentment. while their two horn arrangements are often intricate, don't let their achievement distract you -- their music is more about ideas, communication, and feeling. phrases live and breathe, and tense expectation hangs in the air. entirely new textures are created on the fly. it's music that explores many possibilities, all in real time. what i admire most about anton and dan is their musical rapport. when improvising, they push each other into new, unexpected realms. dan says, "it's funny how comfortable it is not worrying about playing. i can play anything that i can dream up, and we'll try to go there -- and it works." they enjoy a rare musical freedom that comes from years of playing together. i hope you enjoy this recording as much as i did. a combination of live and studio takes, it does a nice job of capturing what their music is all about. -- vince voelz