Album Notes

Following is what Clare Fischer has to say about this recording:

"All of these are songs that I have recorded one way or another during my career. Originally done with groups, upon going to perform with the Metropole Orchestra in the Netherlands, I wrote arrangements that included their broad instrumentation. This then presents these in a completely different fashion from their origin. The Metropole Orchestra, besides having the normal contingent of brass and saxophones, includes three extra woodwind players, 26 string players and extra percussionists. These recordings came about from all of that plus the addition of my group brought from the States. The strings especially give this a different color.
Improvising performances incorporate solos by not only members of my groups, but also members of the Metropole Orchestra, which worked out very well. At this point I especially remember a fine solo by the young Dutch trumpet player Jarmo Hoogendijk on "Dancing Song." The piece itself is quite complex harmonically, but he was able to pass through the changes in his improvising admirably.
There was also a very fine trombone solo by Paul Woesthuis on "Morning" and another by a young tenor saxophone player, Gerbrand Westveen on "C.P." Most of the solos coming from my group are played by Don Shelton and are individually listed on those songs.
Brent Fischer, my son and a fine bass player, acts as manager for my group and set up all of these performances with the Metropole. His help was inestimable.
On "Dancing Song" we used Kees Kranenburg on drums and were able to switch from the Latin style of music, which most of this is, to a standard jazz band performance.
As you can tell from the instrumentation of our group, the music performed is definitely Latin, sometimes of different varieties, such as Cuban or Brazilian. One of the songs on the album, however, is the American standard, "Memories of You," which was done as a piano solo. Except for the aforementioned "Memories of You," all of the songs are my compositions.
If the listener will sit back, and give this a good listen, I think he will be greatly rewarded with a CD full of Latin fun."
---Clare Fischer

Here is what others have had to say about Clare and his musicianship:

"This is improvisation that even Mozart would envy." - Chuck Berg - music critic

"In my opinion, Clare Fischer is the most important composer and arranger in jazz since Duke Ellington." - Bill Dobbins - educator

"Some of the greatest solo piano recordings in the history of jazz." - Hans Gruber - publisher

"Clare Fischer is the greatest musician I have ever known." - Jerry Coker - author & educator
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