About the pieces on Common Ground Hello from Down Here - originally composed in Cape Town (2000) as feature for bass clarinet and bass; two instruments of the musical spectrum that aren’t often featured as solo jazz instruments. In this performance the duo breathes new life into blowin’ over rhythm changes. The melody statement reflects a quirkiness and sense of humor of daily life in Cape Town and Southern Africa – Hello from Down Here K. G. Cape Town is dedicated to a wonderful (Cagee) Cape Town drummer by the name of Kevin Gibson, who is everyone’s first call drummer in Southern Africa. The intervallic melody is woven in and around the pedal Eb and is performed in duo fashion with great adventure and daring. Yearning - Ukulangazelela was first recorded on my cd Beauty and the Blues (MMC2045J) with jazz greats Billy Hart, Rufus Reid and Tom McKinley. Here the duo reworks the melody and solos in with a reverent interpretation; Yearning - Ukulangazelela for a better understanding of the complex world we live in. UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULI Is dedicated to my dear friend and musical inspiration German electronic composer Ulrich Suesse. I met Uli in Durban, South Africa in 1999 as Senior Fulbright Scholar in Jazz to the University of KwaZulu Natal. The melody is drawn from my concept and published in “Contrast and Continuity in Jazz Improvisation: a Diatonic and Multi-Colored Approach (advance music). I had the opportunity recently to perform this work with my mentor and friend Dave Liebman at the 33rd Annual International Conference in New York 2006. The Forty Club - Msome Ama Nne/Amashumi was composed on my induction to the 40 year-old club while living in Durban 1999-2000. This piece was also performed with the UCT/UKZN Combo at the 32rd IAJE Conference in Long Beach, California. Our Angel, Engel was composed after the passing of conductor/trombonist and friend Albert Engel in 2002. In Afrikaans, Engel means Angel. Albert was one in every sense of the word. Everyone from Cape Town and the surrounding communities who knew Albert miss him dearly. The opening piano motif signifies Albert’s warm nature and spirit above us. Mike Playing duo is a very challenging undertaking. The level of understanding between two musicians and the extent each is required to listen to the other in ‘real time’ is unmatched in any other playing situation. That is why I believe the duo format is so rare; especially finding one that works well. When Mike Rossi and I met in 2004, we realized immediately that we shared a common language due to our similar musical backgrounds. Although our paths had never crossed up to that time, we both studied and played with the great Dave Liebman and other musicians of his generation who influenced our playing and artistic aesthetics. We decided we would develop our duo, playing our original compositions. Mike, being a very accomplished composer, and myself having been composing for the past 17 years, had a lot of material to choose from. The fruit of the work we invested in the duo is presented here on Hello From Down Here. Although our composing styles are quite different, I feel we managed to come up with a unified concept. As for my compositions on this album, they are mostly early works written after returning to Israel after having had studied in New York and Banff (Canada). It is in this respect, ‘Israeli music’. Horoscope and Into an Open Sky represent the ‘Mediterranean-Israeli’ influence. Deception has a more sombre vibe to it, and reflects the influence of 20th century classical music on my writing. Just a Matter of Time and Roses have a ‘popular song’ quality to them and reflect a certain naivety of a young composer. The Tension Between the Sexes was initially composed for a group I played with that consisted of two keyboard players and a drummer, and has a ‘Rock’ feel on the solo section. Song for Corinne was the second tune I ever wrote and was inspired by my first visit to Paris. Special thanks go to Andrew Ford for his impeccable professionalism and his ability to stay ‘cool under fire’. Very special thanks go to Mike Rossi and his wonderful family Diane, Cristina and Bianca, for all the support and friendship they extended to me upon my arrival in South Africa. I hope you enjoy listening to our music. Micu