Album Notes

When I wrote these songs, I never thought they'd be recorded, no less by a band of such excellent musicians. I was jobless and living alone in a Manhattan studio apartment with a piano, so it seemed like a good idea to abandon classical piano and write some songs. Years later, my good friend Tony Scherr suggested I ask Kate Sullivan to sing them. She happily took on the project, and stayed with it despite her worsening health. On two hot summer days two years ago, we got together in Tony's unairconditioned Brooklyn apartment/recording studio. David Phelps joined us on acoustic guitar, Tony played bass, slide guitar, and drums, my husband, Liam, played drums as well, I (eight months pregnant) played keyboards, and we recorded the songs. Throughout the next several months, Kate made trips to Tony's to re-record her vocals. Michelle Casillas sang the two songs Kate didn't get to, accompanied by jazz pianist Dave Berkman on Hammond organ. Producer Tony added Rob DiPietro's masterful bongo playing to "Cocoa on the Cappuccino," and on several songs, the indispensable flute of Joe Montini (a chance to finally record with wife Kate). Mike Crehore, of Manhattan's Dubway Studios, mastered the album, and Jonathan Troll did the layout of photos and text. No one accepted payment for anything. The album was a labor of love. We like that each listen brings Katy a little back to us.