John W. Duarte (1919-2004) was educated at the Manchester University Faculty of Technology. He worked as a professional chemist until 1969, then abandoned chemistry in favour of full-time dedication to music, after having been persuaded by Len Williams, father of John Williams. His only formal musical education consisted in jazz guitar lessons with Terence "Terry" Usher, the rest he learned by self-instruction. He also worked professionally as a player of the trumpet and double bass, and regularly worked as a jazz musician, among others with Coleman Hawkins and Django Reinhardt.

Duarte’s work shows an exceptionally wide range of styles. Some works reflect the Renaissance style of court lutenists such as John Dowland, other works alternate in style between aleatory, atonal and graphic, contained within a conventionally notated framework and allowing spontaneous reaction between the performers. In many other works he employs a tonal language, often coloured by the folk music traditions of various nations, and romantic in mood.

John Duarte was a great admirer of America’s musical styles. Three types of music are characteristically American: the folk music of the settlers from the British Isles, jazz, with its African American origins, and the music of the American musical theatre. All of these are exemplified in the musical programme of this recording: folk music in Variations on an American Folk Song (Colorado Trail) and Appalachian Dreams, jazz and blues in Sua Cosa and Simply Blues, and music of the theatre in the arrangements of songs by George Gershwin. Americana includes examples of each of these types of music.

Included are the suite Americana, Simply Blues and Appalachian Dreams, as well as 12 arrangements of Gershwin songs.

Played by Italian master guitarist Francesco Cipriani.