Night

Simone Dinnerstein and Tift Merritt met when Tift interviewed Simone for Gramophone Magazine and her radio programme in 2008. They soon became friends. Intrigued by their differing musical backgrounds and musical worlds they decided to try a collaboration together and NIGHT has developed over several years. 

NIGHT was conceived as a song cycle developed for a concert commissioned and presented by Duke Performances in January 2011.

NIGHT features new songs written especially for the duo by Brad Mehldau (I Shall Weep at Night) and Patty Griffin (Night), as well as Tift Merritt’s own songs (Only in Songs, Still Not Home, Colors, Feel of the World), and classical selections (an arrangement of Schubert’s Night and Dreams, Bach’s Prelude in B minor). The album also includes the world premiere recording of The Cohen Variations by Daniel Felsenfeld, a solo piano piece commissioned by Dinnerstein based on one of her favourite songs, Leonard Cohen’s Suzanne.

The artists couldn’t come from more different backgrounds. Tift Merritt comes from the American singer-songwriter tradition where her father taught her to play songs by ear on the guitar. Simone comes from the classical music world where she learnt to read music and improvisation is rarely found.

By juxtaposing works from their differing backgrounds (classical, rock, jazz worlds and improvisation) they re-imagine the works through a different lens. For example in the key opening set of Tift’s work “Only in Songs” coupled with Schubert’s “Night and Dreams” – the addition of harmonica and Tift’s English take on the lyrics, reinterprets Schubert’s song in a completely different light.

The artists chose the title NIGHT because it summarizes the process of the project for artists. Night is that time when it’s dark and difficult to see and outlines become blurred. Both Simone and Tift felt the process enabled them “to take on another face” to reach beyond their boundaries or comfort-zones and create something new and fresh that stays true the musical integrity of both artists.