Excursions! Piano and drums meet and meld, challenge and submit, frolic and romp in this duo performance by composer and pianist Geoffrey Gee and percussionist Russ Gold. Gold's dynamic articulation supports and punctuates the piano's lush tones; Gee's round phrases cushion and deliver the force of the drums. Sounding as one and two and one again, Gee and Gold take you on a journey into their musical world. About the Duo: Geoffrey Gee plays dramatic piano, expressing classical harmonies and dynamics through the free form of jazz. The sophisticated technique and rich textures of his music reflect influences ranging from Beethoven, Ravel and Stravinsky, to Lyle Mays and Keith Jarrett. Keyboard Magazine hailed his album fingerprints as "serious, passionate, solo piano, beautifully recorded and very listenable." As the reviewer remarked, "the sense of rubato and the touch have a classical inspiration--Satie in the more withdrawn moments, Moussorgsky in the darker rumbles." Mr. Gee studied classical piano at Indiana University and contemporary music at Berklee College of Music. He has since served on the faculty of Music Synthesis at Berklee. Joining him for this album is master percussionist Russ Gold. "Inventive" and "an uncanny combination of power, drive, and delicate touch", is how David Berkowitz of CBS Records describes the talent of percussionist Russ Gold. He has toured extensively throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, performing with jazz, rock, fusion, and theatre groups. "His musicianship and timing were extraordinary", wrote Joe Watts of the Montrose Voice in Houston, Texas, acclaiming Russ' performance as solo multi-percussionist with the American Repertory Theatre. Russ' performing experience includes work with musicians as diverse as Seth Justman (J. Giles Band), Gary Lyons (producer of the Rolling Stones, Cindi Lauper, and the Grateful Dead), CBS fusion artists Full Circle, and jazz greats George Adams, Sam Rivers, and Howard Johnson. During his tenure with Full Circle, the band won "Best Jazz Group" at the 1986 San Sebastian Jazz Festival in Spain, and garnered Boston Music Awards' "Best Jazz Record on a Major Label" in 1988. His talent has also been recognized by endorsements of Sabian cymbals, Pro-Mark sticks, Fishman transducers, Kurzweil synthesizers and Purecussion hardware.