This recording was hailed as the “Best Piano recording I have ever heard” by John Casler. And in the year-end American Record Guide review of new piano recordings, James Harrington says of David Fung’s playing: “My reviewing process has produced an overall favorite, and that is David Fung. Consistently good from start to finish, his playing impressed me for its phrasing and musicality…. It is clear that Fung’s heart and soul belong in the romantic era. The variety of his touch and articulation is well displayed in this music…. I shall return to this recording many many times and will watch for future releases from this talented artist.”

It is a rare treat when a music writer and critic twists a producer’s arm to re-release an early album in a record label’s catalog. David Fung’s Evening Conversations put Yarlung Records on the audiophile map, and it was last released in 2012. Mr. Rushton Paul was the friendly arm-twister in our case, and encouraged us to release a fresh mastering of Evening Conversations in honor of Yarlung’s 20th Anniversary. What a treat it was to revisit the original takes and bring them to life with equipment Yarlung didn’t have at the time of the original recording. This is an edition I suspect will stand the test of time. Zipper Hall at Colburn School in Los Angeles has wonderful acoustics, as I think you will hear in Evening Conversations, and Yarlung has recorded about 12 albums there to date. Rush gives us a taste from this special 20th Anniversary release: “David Fung is extraordinary–his playing soars on wings of the greatest delicacy, nuance, insight, and emotion. He combines a refined elegance with intensely poetic and expressive nuance. The clarity with which he navigates passages is breathtakingly liberating. Listening after all these years, I am once again awestruck by the musicianship, the intelligence, the technical excellence of these performances.”

We used two Neumann U47 microphones for this recording, which I hope you enjoy in the playback. I’m eager to hear what you think.

Bob Attiyeh, producer