released June 1, 2010

Produced by Grant & Matheny
Executive Producers: Rick Soued and Ed Dunsavage
Recording engineer: Ron Davis
Recorded June 22-23, 2009 at the Old Siskiyou Barn, Ashland, Oregon
Darrell And Dmitri wish to thank Rick and Joanne Soued and the Siskiyou Institute for generously making this recording possible. The Siskiyou Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization in Ashland, Oregon dedicated to presenting world-class concerts in intimate settings and providing unique education opportunities for all ages. www.siskiyouinstitute.com

Tracks

1 The Crucifixion. Samuel Barbar arr. Grant/Matheny

2 Think of One. Thelonious Monk

3 Around the World Suite
"In the Gloaming" by Annie Fortescue Harrison
"April in Paris" by Vernon Duke & E.Y. Harburg
"Estate" by Bruno Martino and Bruno Brighetti
"Autumn in New York" by Vernon Duke

4 Bach to Brazil
"Allemande" from French Suite No. 1 BWV 812 by Johan Sebastian Bach, "Agua de Beber" by Antonio Carlos Jobim

5 Nature Boy/Fragile. Arr. Grant/Matheny
Eden Abbex/Sting

6 Boplicity
Gil Evans/Cleo Henry

7 Fleurette Africaine
Duke Ellington

8 Country
Keith Jarrett

9 Without a Song
Vincent Youmans

10 Spirituals. arr. Darrell Grant
Deep River/Wade in the Water/Sometimes I feel Like A Motherless Child/Swing Low Sweet Chariot

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Liner Notes

Since their 1998 debut at New York's Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the classically-trained jazz duo of Darrell Grant [piano] and Dmitri Matheny [flugelhorn] has solidified their reputation as "pioneers and champions of the chamber jazz movement" [Public Radio International].

Exploring the lyricism, the swing, and the soul of songs, GRANT & MATHENY blend the intimate elegance of European chamber music with the playful, spontaneous spirit of American jazz.

They perform a large and diverse repertoire with material drawn from many musical genres: classical works of Barber and Bach, jazz standards by Ellington and Monk, contemporary songs of Keith Jarrett and Sting, Negro spirituals, New Orleans second line, American Popular Song, Argentenian tango, ambient film music and more.

Spicing each show with personal stories, impromptu vocal riffs and warm camaraderie, Grant & Matheny are the modern day heirs to a legacy that reaches back to the days of vaudeville and early jazz. The duo appears on major concert stages and festivals around the country, following in the footsteps of legendary teams of touring entertainers who pioneered the art and craft of duo performance: Williams & Walker, Sissle & Blake, Mitchell & Ruff, Armstrong & Hines.

Grant & Matheny continue to refine the singular "chamber jazz" style they first developed over a decade ago. According to Stereophile, "Grant & Matheny are intense listeners, sometimes anticipating and instantly echoing ideas, yet always weaving one fabric."

All About Jazz agrees: "They have played together for years, and it shows: they share the lead; they finish each other's phrases. Both players have refined their instrumental technique to the essentials, giving the music a relaxed, uncomplicated sensibility that makes it fun to listen to. Not surprisingly, the audience loves them."