The Story Behind Under the Covers
   The “Cover Songs” represented in this album are all compositions that have meant a great deal to me. Some of these songs I’ve played for over fifty years; others I’ve just recently started playing, but all have inspired me by their beauty, groove, melody, and harmony. I first heard most of these songs many years ago, recorded or performed by legendary jazz guitar players like Kenny Burrell, Tal Farlow, Pat Martino, Sal Salvador, Ed Cherry, and Ralph Towner. I first heard "Hammer Head" when I had to perform it with a group for a concert a couple of years ago (Yes, this is one that slipped by me); I wish I had discovered it many years ago. No doubt Wayne Shorter’s playing on this song with the Jazz Messengers is incredibly inspiring. "Chant" by Duke Pearson is another song that I’ve only been playing a few years, I first heard it performed by Ed Cherry on a live stream from Small in NYC. "The Bad and the Beautiful" is the theme from the movie of the same name. I have always loved this film's soundtrack, especially Bill Evans' solo recording of this song. All in all, eight of the ten songs on this album are lesser-known works (to the public) of these great composers, with the exceptions of “Like Someone in Love” and “Love You Madly.” The musicians on this album have been my friends for at least thirty years, so this was a collaborative effort, and without their great playing and input throughout the project, the result would not have been the same. I’m proud of what we accomplished together.