With a impeccable white grand piano and a packed house, the stage was set for a concert hot enough to warm the cold February air. No disappointments, of course. Schweizer played two sets, dense with consideration and bristling with cyclical rhythms, but not overly long. An ideal musical event - the audience was absolutely won over by her and late that night the bar was filled with the kind of afterglow that always indicates something deep has transpired. As an expert improvisor, Schweizer knows that the tricky part is figuring out how these ma-terials, influences and innovations fit together. Like Ellington said, it's a matter of connecting the devices, of finding a way to make the music meaningful by imbuing it with thought. Every phrase Irène played that night seemed to be steered by that kind of intellect, that guiding spirit. Everything working together. Technically, that's the meaning of the word «concert.» Agreement in design or plan. It was one such concert, and for times like that we count our lucky stars.

Engineer: Peter Pfister, Malachi Ritscher Jr.
Cover Art: Fabrizio Gilardino
Liner Notes: John Corbett

All compositions by Irène Schweizer except Togetherness One (First Movement) by Don Cherry. Published and copyright by Intakt Records. Produced by Irène Schweizer and Intakt Records. Recorded February 16, 2000 at the Empty Bottle, Chicago. Mastered November 1, 2000, at Tonstudio Peter Pfister by Irène Schweizer and Patrik Landolt. Executive production: Patrik Landolt