States of Play, solos and duos by Robert Carl and John McDonald, features bassist Robert Black, violist Scott Woolweaver, and John McDonald, playing the keyboard parts of the solos and duos with the string players. The recording is a retrospective of joint projects undertaken over the past couple of decades by Carl and McDonald. McDonald writes that "as longtime creative friends and mutual admirers, it seemed natural to team up here with Robert, Robert, and Scott for some 'excavating' as well as some new discovering. "States of Play" thus represents this rediscovery-by-excavating, primarily through Robert Carl's music written between 1987 and 2018. Following Robert's invitation to contribute some music of my own, I've offered two piano pieces to this States of Play lineup that were both completed during 2016 and 2017." A special collaboration!