The concept of this album was born in the middle of the pandemic as I was spending most of my afternoons composing to keep my brain from jumping out of my head.

I realized that every recording session I had starting with The Beatnik in 2012, there was at least one composition that didn't make the cut for one reason or another. I started playing them on my piano and realized that every one of these misfit tunes sounded pretty nice and especially sounded nice together.

Thus the artifacts that were left behind. I'm so glad I never throw anything away.

We Left Artifacts is dedicated to one of my two longest collaborators, Andrew Kosiba. We have been band mates since 2007 and the sound of my music could not exist without him. This tune is a medium up tempo modal swinger that provides space for the piano to fill throughout. This was not completed in time to be on 2012's The Beatnik.

Truman Street is named after the street that Truman Street School resides, where I have been music teacher since 2014. This was the first tune I composed in between classes and after school on my old beat up Yamaha piano in my classroom. I was trying really hard to write a tune that could sneak its way into Miles Davis's album ESP. This even 8th quasi boogaloo was supposed to be on 2015's Time Circuit.

Riverbed was also left behind at The Beatnik sessions. At the time it represented a feeling of loss and I wasn't in the right head space to play it at the time. Over a decade later I came to realize it was one of my favorite originals and is a rather beautiful song. It sounded closer to the love and joy I have in my life now, and in a cosmic way I believe it was meant for this point in my life. If it were to have a subtitle it would be "July 18th 2020."

Phase didn't make it on Mr. Millennial's Revenge in 2019 because it was very obvious to me that this particular tune was meant to be recorded on another project. I guess a composer can just tell. Another straight even 8th modal tune, I imagine this song can be played many different ways and I have a suspicion it will turn up again on future recordings.

Funny enough, Dark Times was written for the Time Circuit sessions in 2015, but has that eerie sense it was written in 2020. I guess dark times just means the end is "always" near. This is an up tempo swing tune that projects just how much trumpeters Dave Douglas and Jeremy Pelt I listen to. The last 8 bars of this tune are my favorite part of the record. I imagine live versions of this song will have stretched out operatic renditions of the ending.

We Left Artifacts is the first fully acoustic album I've recorded since 2012 and for some reason it feels like I'm visiting home. My music is influenced by so many great musicians, I feel truly blessed to be able to stand on the shoulders of giants. What I mean by that, is that I honor all the musicians who have come before me or have influenced me in one way or another. The songs on this album may be rejects from earlier times, but they represent a palette of my musical life, and bring so much worth to me. In the words of Marty McFly: "If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything."

I am forever thankful to my headphones.