This disc gathers the saxophone music of Henry Cowell (1897-1965) and Percy Grainger (1882-1961), 24 tracks in all, with the saxophonist Ulrich Krieger acting as concept-maker, researcher, producer and musical director. Many of the pieces are world premiere recordings, and several exist here in more than one version, as the two composers tended to leave their scores open in instrumentation.

The programme moves through saxophone ensembles, saxophone with piano and saxophone with orchestra. Grainger is represented by pieces such as The Immovable Do, Lisbon (in three settings), The Merry King, Molly on the Shore (first recording of the original version) and the wind-ensemble work Random Round. Cowell's share includes Air and Scherzo in versions with piano and with orchestra, Sailor's Hornpipe, Hymn and Fuguing Tune Nr. 18 and a Sax Quartet that Krieger reconstructed from Cowell's piano score, along with five versions of Caoine in Grainger's arrangement.

Krieger is joined by the Percy Saxophone Ensemble, the New Hudson Saxophone Quartet, intersax, pianists Marcus Waibel and Allison Brewster Franzetti, and the Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra and members of the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble under Charles Peltz.

Henry Cowell: Air and Scherzo (1961/63), Sailor’s Hornpipe (1949), Hymn and Fuguing Tune Nr. 18 (1964), Sax Quartet (1961), 60 - For Percy Grainger (1942), Chrysanthemums (1937), Caoine (arr. Grainger, ca. 1937/38)
Percy Grainger: The Immovable Do (1939), Lisbon (1943), Ye Banks and Braes O Bonnie Doon (1932), The Lonely Desert-Man Sees the Tents of the Happy Tribes (1949), The Merry King (1936-39), Molly on the Shore (1938), Random Round (1912-14/43)

Ulrich Krieger, soprano, alto, tenor, C melody, baritone and contrabass saxophones, director
Percy Saxophone Ensemble, New Hudson Saxophone Quartet, intersax
Marcus Waibel and Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano
Paul Cohen, soprano and alto saxophone
Birgitt Schmieder, musette
Andrea Young, voice
Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra and members of the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble, Charles Peltz, conductor