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The Bounding Line on CD

The English poet and artist William Blake wrote of the intentionality and originality in art as being demarcated by a "bounding line," meaning that the more "sharp and distinct" the boundaries of the piece are drawn, the more perfect the art. Pianist Greg Reitan took this idea to heart during an artist residency at composer Aaron Copland's home, Rock Hill, in Cortlandt Manor, New York, in the summer of 2019. Inspired by the seclusion, environment, and Copland's library, Reitan utilized his time at Rock Hill to create a blueprint for his new recording, The Bounding Line.

Reitan has made a name for himself as a brilliant pianist and composer, writing and arranging for his trio and for film and television. Bassist Jack Daro and drummer Dean Koba have been integral to Reitan's musical world for nearly thirty years since they met while studying at the University of Southern California. Their long-standing collaboration has made the trio a cohesive unit comfortable with any material that Reitan creates.

As a composer, Reitan has an appreciation for the work and genius of Aaron Copland. He was honored to have been awarded a residency that enabled him to live and work at Copland's Rock Hill. The midcentury modern house served as Copland's home from 1960 until his passing in 1990. The time Reitan and his wife spent at Rock Hill allowed him to find inspiration in the secluded environment that Copland regarded as "my hideaway, my solitude." The Copland House Foundation took care of the couple's needs so that Reitan could focus on composing. In the evenings, Reitan would investigate Copland's ample library, studying scores and reading books.

The time spent at Rock Hill resulted in the sketches of the pieces that are heard on The Bounding Line. The residency provided Reitan an opportunity to refine his work and to hone these compositions under Blake's ethos of strong and defined boundaries of style and form.

At the end of Reitan's stay, Daro and Koba joined him at Rock Hill for a series of performances featuring works inspired by the residency. Four years later, Reitan reconvened the trio to record the work begun at Rock Hill, along with a handful of thoughtfully chosen but rarely heard covers at Concept 2 Studios in Los Angeles in October 2023.