Produced by Dan Weiss and David Breskin

All Compositions by Dan Weiss (© 2022 Littlevivs1music, BMI)

Recorded December 9 & 10 2020 at Oktaven Audio
Engineered by Ron Saint Germain and Ryan Streber
Mixed by Ron Saint Germain at Saint’s Place
Mastered by Scott Hull at Masterdisk
Album design by Miles Okazaki
Photos by Stephanie Ahn-Weiss

Dan Weiss uses Gretsch drums, Zildjian cymbals, and Vic Firth drumsticks.

Thanks to Jacob, Thomas, Stephanie Ahn-Weiss, Vivienne Ahn-Weiss, my family, Scott Hull and Mickie Steier at Masterdisk, Ron Saint Germain, Ryan Streber, Miles Okazaki, Matt Mitchell, Craig Taborn, Ben Monder, Trevor Dunn, Seth Rosner, Yulun Wang, Samir Chatterjee, my friends and colleagues, my Patreon subscribers, and all who have supported me over the years. Special thanks to David Breskin, Chelsea Hadley, and The Shifting Foundation for your continued belief in me. Stanby Wuh.

This album was made possible by the generous support of The Shifting Foundation.

Dedication is my fourth piano trio record, following Now Yes When (2006), Timshel(2010) and Utica Box (2019). As a drummer and composer, this format affords me tremendous freedom, intimacy, and comfort, and I’ve joyfully played with Jacob and Thomas for twenty-two years.

My composing process for this record was variegated, writing at the piano, at the drums, and a desk. In some cases, prefigured dedications dictated the music; in others, the music itself—as it developed—determined whom I would honor. The title of this record is also reflective of how I try to live my life, committing myself to the things that are important to me – my music, family, and personal growth.

For Tim Smith – Smith is the genius behind Cardiacs, one of my favorite bands. I came up with a chord sequence and immediately thought of him, imagining this might be something he’d write. Yes, many major chords.

For Vivienne – My daughter Viv was born September 13th, 2016 and she completely crushed me. The love I feel is overwhelming.

For Nancarrow – The most demanding piece on the album. The main time cycle is 9 but there are overlapping cycles of 5, 6, and 7. It took me months to nail this drum part. Conlon Nancarrow’s Studies for Player Piano redefined the way I thought about metric modulation.

For George Floyd – I tend to stay away from political statements in my music, but felt compelled to address Floyd’s murder of May 25, 2020.

For Jacob – I have known Jacob Sacks since 1995 and we’ve loved playing together ever since. His angular yet melodic lines are deeply steeped in the tradition of the great jazz pianists, from Teddy Wilson to Cecil Taylor.

For Andrei Tarkovsky – My favorite film director. For me, the mood of this piece evokes a spiritual awareness that films such as Solaris and Mirror exude. Thomas and I have much fun playing the outro here.

For Bacharach – Of all these songs, this is my favorite to play. It’s deceptively simple. The melody is straightforward but there lurk unexpected twists in the phrase structure reminiscent of his “Promises, Promises” and his magisterial album with Elvis Costello, Painted From Memory.

For Elvin – At present, Elvin Jones is my favorite drummer. The source material comes from something he plays on Coltrane’s “One Down, One Up” from Live at the Half Note. I took what he played and altered the speed. The blowing here is basically a tweaked-out blues form.

For Grandma May – My dear Grandma May passed in late 2021. She was selfless, always supportive and warm, and gave unconditional love. This piece seeks to capture some of her spirit.