Night

Classically trained pianist Simone Dinnerstein and singer/songwriter/guitarist Tift Merritt met when the latter interviewed the former for a magazine. The pair discovered a creative compatibility that resulted in this rewarding project. Presented like one of the duo\'s concerts, the album jumps from classical pieces such as Schubert’s “Night and Dreams” and traditional songs like “Wayfaring Stranger” to jazz standards (Billie Holiday’s “Don’t Explain”) and four Merritt originals. Dinnerstein performs Bach’s “Prelude in B Minor” before Merritt gives a vocal and acoustic guitar delivery of her own “Still Not Home.” The two shared arranging duties on four numbers and used established arrangements on others, including violinist Jenny Scheinman’s for the sublime Patty Griffin–penned title track. “The Cohen Variations” was commissioned by Dinnerstein and is Daniel Felsenfield’s solo piano interpretation of Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne.” *Night* closes perfectly with a quietly uplifting rendition of Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now.”

There was a time during the sixties when progressive rockers mixed all sorts of different musical styles together.