The Loussier Trio recording puts its unique improvisational spin on the 13-song opus that Schumann composed in 1838 as a fond tribute to his childhood. "This particular work by Schumann is ideal for reinterpretation in a jazz setting," says Loussier. "Childhood is perhaps the most playful and carefree time of one's life. In the same sense, jazz is perhaps the most imaginative and carefree kind of music ever composed. It only makes sense, then, to reinterpret the compositions by Schumann that capture the most memorable and cherished moments of his youth." In keeping with his ongoing commitment to infusing classical music with elements of the jazz idiom, Loussier's approach to Schumann's music is equal parts composition and improvisation. "When I prepare the music," he says, "I write down the principle part of the theme at a time before the recording process begins, but it's not fully realized until we are in the studio and recording. I rearrange and change things, and I discover new things in the process."