SECOND ARROW is my first small band in some 20 years. With the exception of long-time collaborator and legendary bassist Jerome Harris, Previte has populated the band with musicians he has as yet only admired from a distance—the magnificent pianist Angelica Sanchez, the stunning guitarist Wendy Eisenberg, and the deeply thoughtful Matt Bauder on woodwinds. These musicians have collaborated with an astonishing array of artists from all over the music spectrum.

I have been interested in the idea of a group that takes separate paths to the same goal, and whose idea of playing “together” is broader than the usual “locked-in” approach. To quote my friend and the great musician Steve Swallow, who said it better than I ever could, ‘Interaction is overrated.’ The music for SECOND ARROW is probably the most ensemble dependent music I have ever presented—just a series of signposts for these particular improvisers, directing them to the clearest path of connection. Or put another way, “It’s not the notes you play. It’s how you play ‘em.”