New World Records has brought out a new CD of 3 late pieces and one earlier piece by Robert Erickson (1917-1997), one of the heroes of West Coast Experimental Music. If you don't know is music, this album is a very good place to start. If you DO know his music, this album will give you wonderful new insights into his composing, his consumate musicality, and his unceasingly questing musical intellect. Erickson's late pieces are, to quote Ronald Robboy, sui generis. It's true - there's nothing quite like them in all of Western contemporary music. And the earlier piece, the Duo, from 1957, is thrilling. I haven't heard a straight-out 50s modernist piece before like this that pulled me along with such vigor and elan. The performers, led by Charles Curtis and Anthony Burr are uniformly excellent. HIGHLY recommended. You can find out more, and buy it on-line as CD or download from http://www.newworldrecords.org/album.cgi?rm=view&album_id=95449. I was lucky enough to be able to study with Bob during my time at UCSD, and I was honored when New World asked me to write the liner notes for the CD. Even without buying the CD, you can download the liner notes from http://www.newworldrecords.org/uploads/filemtuUc.pdf. One friend, on reading the notes, said that they now wanted to hear the pieces. I was very complimented by that. If you do download the liner notes, I hope that you, too, will be intrigued enough to buy the album. I think you'll be glad you did.