I am not by nature a leader of bands, and so it has come as something of a surprise to realise that not only have I formed this quartet, but that a C.D has been recorded of which I'm very proud and that I'm even writing a liner note for it. Admittedly, the formation of the band took me several months and a number of conversations with Nikki, Simon and Martin along the lines of - "It would be great to do some playing together" and "If I managed to get a few gigs would you be interested?" rather than an executive decision followed by three businesslike 'phone calls and the organising of a national tour, but the pace at which I do these things has always been glacial rather than galvanic!

If I had doubts about my organisational abilities, I had none about my choice of co-workers. Simon's playing I'd known and trusted since the mid-'80's when we first worked together in a short-lived quintet with the late and much missed saxophonist Chas Burchell and since then in various line-ups with the great guitarist Dave Cliff. Nikki and I met about five years ago when we were (and hopefully still are!) tutors at the Glamorgan Summer School and I was immediately impressed with the sensitivity and generosity of her playing. I only knew of Martin by reputation until relatively recently, when Simon called to say that he thought that Martin and I would enjoy working together and to achieve that end he'd booked us for a trio gig in London. After the gig I told Simon that he was right, and I guess it was about then that the mists of indolence began to clear, and the idea that the trio plus Nikki would make a pretty good quartet took real shape.

It seems redundant to try and describe the music since I hope that you're already listening to it - or are about to do so - but a few words about the choice of material might be informative. Several of the tunes, "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "Estate", for example, had been in the repertoire since the beginning. When I suggested "Very Early", "The Duke", "Subconscious-Lee" and the beautiful ballad "Quiet Now", I was delighted to find that Nikki had independently earmarked these tunes for future consideration. The title track "Don't Ask" is a line I wrote some time ago for a radio broadcast and is a compositional nod in the direction of Warne Marsh and Ted Brown, whose linear and melodic approach to improvisation has been my primary interest (some might say obsession) for many years. This interest is also reflected in the Don Ferrara line "Sunflower", Lennie Tristano's "317 East 32nd Street" and Lee Konitz' "Thingin". Paul Desmond was a definite early influence - especially tonally, hence the two Dave Brubeck compositions and I'm sure his playing was at the back of my mind when I decided on the poignant Bossa Nova "Estate".

The C.D. was recorded over two days and the improvisational skill and musical generosity of Nikki, Simon and Martin made it a memorable time. I think you will agree that those qualities are crystal clear in the music.

I would like very much to thank Antony Durrant (computer wizard, multi-instrumentalist, Wealden man and now record producer) for his commitment to this project; Dave Cliff and Bobby Wellins for their inspiration over the years and last, but certainly not least, my partner Avril for her love and encouragement.

Incidentally, I did manage last autumn to organise a national tour. It consisted of the Festival Hall Foyer on October 22nd and Sheffield Jazz Club on November 19th.