David Picton's original music comes from a background of substantial training and experience in both jazz and classical music. He earned his bachelor's degree in music composition from Mannes College of Music, and he has both studied and performed with some of the best jazz musicians in the world. This CD is David's first chamber music release. The music is all performed on traditional acoustic instruments, and is very nature-inspired. For example, the first piece, a woodwind quintet in three movements entitled "Music for the Birds", is a piece based on actual bird calls which Mr. Picton transcribed and used as musical themes and motifs throughout the piece. Mr. Picton's classical music has been described by many as very evocative, both visually and emotionally. His style is influenced by a certain combination of impressionism, expressionism, neo-romanticism, and jazz. Structually his music is very well put together, and there is nothing superfluous about any of it, as it always has a sense of organic forward motion and development. The music is not what one would describe as "easy listening", nor would one catagorize it as "difficult" music. It is certainly worth checking out and hearing for yourself! The performers on this CD are of a very high caliber classical musicians, who all put their hearts and souls into the music. They are: Violins: Yury Alexov, Stanichka Dimitrova, Stanley Hoffman, Tanyanne Ball, Phillipa Thompson - Violas: Ervin Dede, Howard Chasnoff - Cellos: Martha Siegel, Peter Joseph - Double Bass; Jake Leckie, Scott Thornton, Larry Cook - Flute: Michael Laderman - Oboe: Keve Wilson - Clarinet: Vasko Dukovsky - Bassoon: Timothy Emerson - Trumpets: Joe Schuffle, Alex Bender, Ron Andrew Pamposa - French Horns: Lynn Caron, Lis Rubard, Tom Rieger - Trombones: Leonard Waldworth, Nate Reit - Tubas: Jack Jeffers, Dan Meeker, Guitar: Oren Fader - Piano: Craig Ketter - Drums: David Picton