The Deep End is an exploration in timbre, rhythm, and musical style, inspired by the unique possibilities offered by the combination of the tuba's deep fullness of tone, the bassoon's extraordinary variety of range, and the piano's flexibility of approach. Though the sound of the piece is fully contemporary, its structure owes much to classical form and a sense of emotional momentum that is rooted in the Romantic period.

The funk of Fonk is a hard-hitting down-beat punch, reminiscent of the funk-soul pioneer James Brown; the off-beat accents on the inside of a measure serve to push the firm foundation of the first beat of the next measure. The bass line is the heart of all funk, and the music indulges with abandon the different textures of each instrument in laying down the beat at the extreme bottom end of their respective ranges.

If the outer movements of this piece are the crunchy exterior, then the middle movement Double Stuff is the creamy filling of the musical cookie. A sense of indulgence underlies the simple sincerity of the solo piano's opening statement, which is brought to bear as the piece modulates carelessly around the circle of fifths, each time making the home key of E-flat seem more and more foreign and unsettled until the final daybreak of the last measures.

Robert Fripp Has Left the Building is an homage to the minimalist-influenced rock groups of the early '80s and the motoristic, often savage energy of their music. Sinister clouds of triplets, Arabic melodies, washes of impressionistic color, and spy-movie music intertwine with a relentless drive unhampered by guitars and drums. Please remain seated during the performance.