A fresh mastering on 19 LJM tracks, including 2 new, never before released songs. Most of these tracks have appeared on earlier albums of mine, but reappear here in remastered versions that greatly enhance the sound quality, especially for the download and streaming formats. Here are the liner notes for the 3 new releases; For My Wedding (with strings) This song originally appeared as a more stripped down mix on my album, "Dandelion Soul." At that time I felt like the simple austerity of the presentation appropriately represented the subject matter. Now I feel differently. I've grown to love the elegant, spiritual quality of Larry Campbell's playing and string arrangement. I like hearing different versions of songs. It more approaches the live music experience, that is, the song as a fluid, living, breathing thing. Did John Coltrane I've written a number of songs where I stand in the shoes of another artist, and intermingle my own experience with my perceptions of theirs; "Buddy Holly", "Few Came to see Chet Baker", "My Name's Georgette", and others. Coltrane had a big hit with his version of the Broadway show tune, "My Favorite Things", but as time went on he ventured further and further away into musical complexity. He was a genius but were "we" genius enough to follow him? Did John Coltrane lose his way? In the end, was he saying anything at all Yeah, he was saying, sometimes life's a mess Sometimes you don't get back up when you fall, but... Oh, the joy and the sorrow The joy the night my son came into this world My favorite things, New York, the rain Looking into the eyes of a beautiful girl Did John Coltrane lose his way Yes, but, life is but a dream And everything is everything on our way to a love supreme Oh, the joy and the sorrow The joy the night my daughter was born These are a few of my favorite things At one with my horn Did John Coltrane lose his way? No Then Yes This track began on a cassette of a writing session at my kitchen table in New York in 1996. My friend Flip Scipio, the guitar guru, had introduced me to Jennifer Kimball, who had been in The Story with Jonatha Brooke. I showed Jennifer this "No Then Yes" song fragment and we played around with it, with harmonies and guitar parts. After that I worked in my notebook trying to expand the lyrics but the song didn't seem to be able to hold anything more. Quite a few years went by and hearing it fresh I liked it more or less the way it was. I added a musical loop and chanted the title in an ethereal vamp. It seemed to well represent the ambiguity that was the song's muse, no then yes, we 're on then we're off, it's happening then it isn't happening. Nichelle Monroe added vocals, I added baritone acoustic guitar, percussion and more vocals, David Schwartz played stand up bass, Don Heffington played drums, and Michael Ruff and Lee Curreri added strings and piano. No the yes, then no then yes... The summer passed so slowly It was a kind of eternity Your face the closest thing to holy that I'll ever see No then yes... I've got to get out of this place And find the one who'll take me Into a state of grace No then yes...