Album Notes

This collection of improvisations is the fulfillment of my desire to improvise on piano with the support of a sensitive and lyrical bass player; and Kijé Izquierda is such a player. Because my piano playing is spacious (some would say spare), with lots of time between notes, my previous piano albums 43 short Piano Improvisations and Ceremonies are overtly melodic and subtly rhythmic; whereas the Mystery Inventions, driven by the bass line, are overtly rhythmic even when the tempo is slow. I was tempted to bring in a drummer to play with us, but I so loved the interplay of Kijé’s bass and my single-note piano lines, I opted for duet. I’m hoping you will find our less-is-more approach pleasing and memorable—so memorable you’ll tell all your friends to buy Mystery Inventions.

Each tune explores variations on a basic melodic expression supported by a repeating bass pattern. We rejected any take that felt weighed down by redundancy, though we reveled in repeating compelling note combinations. Repetition can be mighty pleasing when you dig what you’re repeating.