A scene in Tony Darren's home studio a few short months before the release of Sun Song (CD-83426) tells the story of his all-encompassing passion for music: Tony is sitting in front of a CD player with his eyes closed, listening to the soundtrack to Cinema Paradiso, and excitedly explaining how Ennio Morricone constructed these powerfully moving pieces. The faces of Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Nick Lowe stare from the photos hanging on the wall above, the silent witnesses to the endless hours Tony has spent here practicing, listening, and composing. Cinema Paradiso is replaced by Pat Metheny's American Garage, then Bill Evans' My Bells, Jaco Pastorious' Word of Mouth, a Django Reinhardt album, and finally Phil Keaggy's The Wind and the Wheat. Somehow, the segues between all of this music are seamless, connected by his enthusiasm for the work of his musical heroes. It is on the inspiration from these and many other great musicians that Tony built the music on Sun Song.

Born December 5, 1970, Tony began his musical life playing drums, piano, and bass early on. At age 18 he began playing guitar. In hindsight, he sees his progression as an instrumentalist as a climb toward composing his own original material. "I remember hearing music in my head, and being frustrated that I didn't have a way to get it out." In the guitar, Tony found an instrument that would serve as the outlet and inspiration for his own compositions.

As millions who have picked up a guitar know, it's a long road between the finger-numbing first days of playing and proficiency on the instrument. Some can get there through hours buried in a haze of scales and technique-building exercises, but for Tony, the beauty of music was always the point. He sought out people who understood this. What began as lessons with world-class jazz guitarist Ted Greene developed into a friend ship that Tony cherishes to this day. "I would go over to Ted's, and we would listen to all kinds of records, and talk for hours. Those were more lessons in life and music than guitar studies."

Throughout the early part of his career, Tony honed his skills by playing a broad range of dates. His love for all styles of music served him well during this period. "Because I was listening to so much music, I was confident that I could play straight ahead jazz, country, blues, pop/rock, whatever was needed. I ended up getting calls because of it." Tony's adaptability led to work scoring theatre productions and television shows (including an appearance on Melrose Place) and recording and performing with Shadowfax, Tom Scott, Wire Train, and many others.

The culmination of this long musical path is Sun Song, Tony Darren's debut release on Telarc. With tracks produced by Grammy Award-winner Al Schmitt (George Benson, Steely Dan, Anita Baker), the disc features some of the top names in contemporary jazz playing nine original compositions and two inspired covers ("This Will Be" and "Sails"). "Al Schmitt was responsible for getting everyone together," Tony says. "Joe Sample, Vinnie Colaiuta, Tom Scott... Al literally assembled my dream band. To be at Capitol Studios and walk into the room with these guys who have been around for years and played on so many great albums was a little intimidating, but to hear the music come alive was a thrill."

From the quiet intimacy of "Kari," to the Caribbean-influenced festivity of "Carnival," to the sad longing of "Jaco," Tony's gift for capturing feeling in beautiful melodies is immediate and infectious. The casual tone of his playing makes it easy to overlook the virtuosity in improvised breaks on the title track, and throughout the album. Tony has certainly created a link between the range of emotion he lives so close to, and the sound his fingers produce on six strings. This transition of feeling from the player and composer to the listener is where the magic in all music happens, and it's what keeps us coming back for more, digging in all corners to find the next tune that resonates with something inside. It's what feeds Tony's insatiable appetite for music in all its forms, and it's what he hopes he can now deliver to those who hear his own music. With the release of Sun Song, Tony Darren is passing on a little of what has inspired him along the way.