Erickson wrote four of the seven works on this CD and arranged three other works composed by important bassists in the history of rock-fusion: Jaco Pastorius, Jimmy Johnson and Colin Hodgkinson. Typically the contribution of bass is eclipsed by other instruments. What Erickson wanted here is to bring the bass up to an equal level, especially in his own compositions: Balance, Equality, Musicality and Originality are the main objectives of this project. Each instrument is designed to be heard up front and reveal its color while no single voice dominates the others. Such a concept is more typical of classical music than of rock, where the guitar often dominates with the emotional quality brought about by it's rich piercing treble tone. But in this project these 3 sounds/instruments have a balance between them to achieve a feeling of space and clarity while not losing anything of a rock feel.

CLIFF ERICKSON, Bassist, Composer, Arranger, hand selected the musicians for this project and recorded in the legendary studios of the San Francisco bay area: The Plant, Fantasy, Different Fur, Laughing Tiger, Studio D, Hyde St. Studios, Soundworks, The Annex, Open Path, and more.

DON ROWLANDS, percussionist, has a vast professional music career of 30 years, not only as a "cutting edge" drummer, but also as a composer in the band Madhouse.

PAUL MOUSAVI, a familiar "hired gun" in musical circles, plays the electric guitar on five of the seven cuts, and has a vast resume as well, including three albums with Jaco Pastorius, a reference that speaks for itself.

MARK HOLZINGER, electric guitarist on two cuts, is a unique musician with an original concept capable of conveying great emotion. He is also a composer in the band Madhouse, aside from having an extensive solo career.

The concept for this CD was born with the idea to display the unique qualities of Cliff Erickson's voice in a selection of tunes?mostly romantic ballads?which fit perfectly the technical abilities and personality of the singer. Erickson, who has been a musician (acoustic and electric bass) for 25 years, arranged tunes which have been played before with a full band/orchestra so that only one instrument, a guitar or a cello, accompanies the voice at one time on each song.

This recording is a showcase for vocals, supported by state of the art musicianship. The result is simplicity and power. Erickson, who is a baritone, conveys emotion with the dreamlike quality of a storyteller. He has a rich and expressive voice that he occasionally utilizes as an instrument. An amazing album in lyrical, romantic feeling and musical sophistication.

Featuring the virtuoso guitar work of Erik Torjesen (tracks 2, 3, 4 & 6), Mark Holzinger (tracks 1, 7 & 9), and Paul Mousavi (track 8).

Save $3.00 when you purchase both of Cliff Erickson's CDs in one order.