Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter - Play Mary Lou Williams

It's very rare that Discus Music commissions the actual musical content of a new release from the artists. In this case, producer, Martin Archer enjoyed a live gig by the duo so much, which had included one Mary Lou piece, that he suggested to Adam and Johnny after the gig they put together an entire programme of her music for this release. MLW is, after all, one of Martin's favourite artists.

The resulting recording truly embodies the spirit of the composer. MLW lived and played the entire history of jazz from ragtime to avant-garde with her own hands and imagination, and that restless and inquisitive spirit is lovingly channelled by the duo.

Adam and Johnny both understand and demonstrate in their playing that new music does not appear out of nowhere. Any musician in any genre is part of a lineage, a straight line from the past out into the future, and serious creative musicians will know that their duty is to walk that line forwards. Which is totally the case on this recording.