Tracks 1-10 recorded without overdubbing or effects at Eagle Wing Studio in Mansfield, MA in 1986.

A l Oliveira died on Feb. 19, 2001, but the mutual respect, challenge, and magic he and Jack found in one another come alive again in this recording. Dave Vickery's no-frills living-room studio in Mansfield was where they went, in the late 80s, during the peak of their 18 years of collaboration, to record these cuts. Most were done on one take. Dave's piano was a pleasure for Jack to play, and, once Dave got past the notion that the duo needed to be separated by sound baffles... or that somehow the banging of Jack's left foot could be curtailed... or that Al and Jack could actually play this stuff without a fair amount of Jack Daniel's being spilled on his living room rug ... well, you can hear the results.

It's raw, it's real and it's right and righteous. It's who they were, what they played, and why, after the fistfights in the snow, they loved and respected one another so much. They simply flat-out played their best for each other.

The last track is Jack's tribute song to Al. It was recorded live at Sounds Interesting Studios in Middleboro, MA, with Jack on guitar and Steve Levesque on bass. Several of Al's sax- and clarinet-playing buddies came to the studio to help out with the choruses. The background voices are those of Al's daughters, brother and nephew. Join in; Al would love it!