Jazz guitarist Ed Bickert was born in Hochfeld, Manitoba, and raised in Vernon, British Columbia, where he started playing the guitar at the age of eight and performed in a country dance band with his parents until 1952, when he moved to Toronto. There he got a day job as a radio engineer at CFRB, took a few lessons with Tony Bradan (his only formal training), and quickly became a cornerstone of the jazz scene throughout the '50's and '60's, playing with Moe Koffman, Ron Collier, Phil Nimmons and Norman Symonds, among many others. In 1974 he formed his own trio with Thompson and Terry Clarke on drums, and accompanied U.S. players like Paul Desmond and Chet Baker at the Toronto club Bourbon Street, which led to wider recognition and international tours throughout the '80's and beyond. Still active as a musician, Bickert was awarded the Order of Canada for his contributions to Canadian music in 1996.

A native of Powell River, British Columbia, bassist Don Thompson took piano lessons as a child and learned to play drums, string bass and vibraphone while still in his teens. After moving to Vancouver, Thompson became a sideman for the likes of Chris Gage, Dave Robbins and American saxophonist John Handy, who took him out on the road as part of a quintet that also included Terry Clarke. Thompson moved to Toronto in 1969, where he quickly became an in-demand session bassist, and played with with Sonny Greenwich, Moe Koffman and Lenny Breau, and also appeared alongside Bickert and Paul Desmond at the aforementioned Bourbon Street sessions. Over the intervening years, Thompson has toured internationally and gained reknown as a teacher, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, composer and arranger, and his songs have been covered by a number of prominent jazz artists, Canadian and otherwise.

This album, which was recorded live at The Garden Party on January 22nd, 1978, was awarded a Juno for Best Jazz Album in 1980. "Alone Together" is a '30's-era tune written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz, "What Is This Thing Called Love" is one of Cole Porter's better-known songs, and "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" is by Fred E. Ahlert and Roy Turk. All three numbers feature nimble, subtle performances by Bickert and Thompson.

Alone Together
What Is This Thing Called Love
Walkin' My Baby Back Home