On their latest Ravello Records release THE POSTCARD SESSIONS, the Harrington/Loewen Duo offers a sampling of evocative, colorful works for saxophone that have become perennial favorites of both performers and audiences. The album is emblematic of the saxophone’s European ancestry, as well as its versatility and flexibility in performing works composed for other instruments. Originally composed for oboe and piano, Robert Schumann’s Drei Romanzen, Op. 94 (1849) highlights the composer’s melodic skill and sets the lyrical tone that dominates the album. The heartfelt performance of Astor Piazzolla’s Ave Maria (1984) was adapted from soprano, strings and piano; while his piece Oblivion (1982), originally written for bandoneon and orchestra, represents the composer’s most celebrated style: tango. Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Six Studies in English Folk-Song (1926) are an eclectic mix of folksongs featuring various modalities and tempi. Cinq Danses Exotiques (1961) by Jean Francaix, Histoires (1921/1939) by Jacques Ibert, Aeolian Song (1953) by Warren Benson, and Tableaux de Provence (1955) by Paule Maurice are all works that add to the distinctive character of the musical postcards on this album. • Canadian musicians Allen Harrington (saxophone) and Laura Loewen established the Harrington/Loewen Duo in 2002 • Both performers are professors at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music in Winnipeg, Canada • The works by Paule Maurice, Jean Francaix, and Jacques Ibert specifically reflect a long tradition of French saxophone music, which remains vibrant to this day • Many of the works on the album were originally written for other instruments, and later adapted for saxophone and piano • This is the second album from The Harrington/Loewen Duo on Ravello Records, following their June 2014 release METROPOLIS (RR7889)