For Claire & Philip / Various - For Claire & Philip [CD]

The River Town Duo (Philip Alejo, double bass and Claire Happel Ashe, harp) releases it's debut recording of works dedicated to them by Caroline Shaw, Hannah Lash, Whitney Ashe, Derick Evans, Evan Premo, and Stephen Andrew Taylor. The repertoire is an excellent vehicle for the duo's expressive performances, exploring a rich and unique timbral confluence resulting from this uncommon instrumentation partnership. The Duo writes: "Claire and I were most fortunate to share a friendship with Caroline Shaw during our graduate studies at the Yale School of Music. We have wonderful memories of our candlelit improvisation sessions at Marquand Chapel and chamber music parties in crowded living rooms around New Haven. When Claire and I began performing in River Town Duo together in 2012, several years after leaving Yale, we knew that we had to ask Caroline for a piece. Thankfully, she agreed. For Claire & Philip is the resulting gem. "