Last night I took [Mom McMains->] to a concert that featured Ken Ishii, the cello teacher of my youth, and Daniel Smith, a guitarist with whom Ken has been recently collaborating. They performed the entirety of their CD, Catch Phrases, a collection of progressive Jazz pieces composed by Smith.

I’ve been enjoying the CD since March, so it was great fun to see them performing it live. Smith has a wonderfully deft technique on the guitar that’s a pleasure to watch, and Ken’s adventuring in the outer limits of cello technique was delightful. We stayed around for a while chatting with the musicians and their families afterward, thoroughly enjoying their company. Thanks for the fine music, gentlemen!