A collection of studio and concert recordings from the long history of Time Warp. Includes booklet of photos, discographical information, Time Warp comic strips, and more.

In the history of jazz, longevity is a rarity among working groups. Players usually stay together for only a few years before moving on to different musical situations. The fact that Time Warp has stayed together for 15 years is in itself a real accomplishment, one we decided to commemorate with this CD collection.

There are many reasons for Time Warp’s longevity, but perhaps the main one is that the band has remained musically challenging over the years. We;ve never lost siight of why we formed Time Warp; to perform original compositions and develop our own identity as a band. The group has never been afraid to change directions, or for that matter, to move in several directions at once. Looking back, certain things have remained constant; a respect for all approaches to jazz, an interest in working with the blues form (rep[resented here by a number of pieces), and a ‘work ethic’ which always keeps us from taking the easy way out.

It also takes a special kind of horn player to play with Time Warp. We’ve had the good fortune to have played with three tremendous musicians, Bob Brough, Mike Murley and Kevin Turcotte, all of whom have the willingness and the musical versatility to deal with the demands of the compositions we play. Without their contributions and interest in the music, we would never had made it to a 15th anniversary!

The major consideration in picking the material for The TIME WARP Collection was to give a musical portrait of the band during its history. We’ve chosen a collection of compositions and recordings reflecting Time Warp’s growth and range of interests. Some are mainstays of our repertoire, while others represent pivotal points in the band’s development. There are performances from the Down to Earth sessions, which only a few Time Warp fans have ever heard. There are also live performances from clubs and concerts, and unreleased tracks from earlier recordings. Finally, we recorded two new performances to represent the band in 1995.

A brief note on progamming; we decided to treat this project as if it were a concert in two parts, and not worry about arranging the recordings chronologically. After all, what’s the use of calling the band Time Warp if we can’t mess around with time a little.

Finally, we’d like to dedicate this collection to all the people over the years who’ve supported Time Warp by coming out to clubs and concerts and buying our recordings. – Al Henderson / Barry Elmes