Pianist, composer, educator, and author Lewis Porter combines forces with saxophonist and composer Phil Scarff in this dynamic quartet. From jazz standards to contemporary treatments of traditional Indian classical fare, and from melodic originals to free-wheeling improvisation, East emerges from West and the audacious emerges from the contemplative. This ensemble features Lewis Porter on piano, Phil Scarff on tenor, soprano, and sopranino saxophones, John Funkhouser on bass, and Bertram Lehmann on drums. The Lewis Porter-Phil Scarff Group's debut CD, "Three Minutes to Four," is contemporary, East-meets-West jazz. Indian raga merges with Western classical, Ghanaian traditional fuses with improvisational, and organic meets studied. "Three Minutes to Four" is at once deeply felt and eminently accessible, a celebration of musical multiculturalism filtered through a prism of real jazz. This CD was released by the contemporary/creative jazz label Whaling City Sound, and is distributed by Naxos. "Conceptually imaginative, impeccably performed." – Downbeat "Lewis Porter… Technique, imagination and feeling are all at his disposal… Phil Scarff… melodic… captivating." - Jazz Journal "Work at the highest level… With a soul." - Jazz Quad "Variable, elaborate and complex, and ubiquitously forward-thinking… memorable solos… The music swings mightily and has an absorbing mixture of non-conventional and traditional jazz… an open-minded experience." - Audiophile Audition