Album Notes

"Perhaps the same bird echoed through both of us yesterday, separate in the evening." Goethe

Bill Risby is, without a doubt, one of my favorite piano players in the world. He sounds very much like the late Bill Evans when he plays - such a beautiful touch. His solos leave you on the edge of your seat - literally.

If you're lucky, there is a special bond between pianist and singer and when the chemistry is right...phew!
This album has been a plan of Bill's for quite some time. A simple plan to record a collection of classic songs - some of which have been largely used and abused throughout their short lives. There, of course, could be another thousand tunes on this album - almost any Bacharach tune or Lennon and McCartney tune or Sondheim tune in fact - these are just the ones that came to mind first.

How lucky that I happened to be in the right place at the right time to be asked to join him on this! Recorded in a private home, Bill played everything you hear in one take on a beautiful Steinway, very kindly made available to us in a family home.

He arranged it, engineered it, mixed it, produced it and even took the photos you see on the front cover (a beautiful ebony statue he gave me for my birthday one year) All I did was sing. It was an incredibly intimate and moving experience and, oh, what a luxury to have a croon for a change!

These songs really do contain some of the most beautiful melodies and harmony in modern music. They are some of my favorite songs too.