It was Leo Tolstoy who said “All great literature is one of two stories; a man goes on ajourney or a stranger comes to town,” and in the case of Andrew Duhon and his latest albumEmerald Blue, both instances are true. Duhon temporarily left New Orleans,his longtimehome and musical muse in 2019, finding himself inspired by the landscape of the Pacific Northwest and notably, its colors—a hue he describes as ‘emerald blue’ for which the albumis named, the same shade looking back at him in his partner’s eyes. Had he overlooked thespecific shade of her eyes while living below sea level? Or did the change of location open hismind more acutely? The record does just that: examine the familiar in the context of theunfamiliar. Emerald Blueis a probing appreciation of the dailiness of life; a note-takingexercise in living. Duhon channeled his new perspective into an eleven song collection, calling on friends andcollaborators including Jano Rixon drums, percussion, and harmonies; Myles Weeks on upright and electric basses and harmonies; and Dan Walkeron keys and accordion. Duhon returned South for the recording process, finding comfort and creativity in Maurice, Louisiana’s storied Dockside Studios with GRAMMY-award winning engineer andlongtime collaborator of Andrew’s, Trina Shoemaker, to capture every inch of vibe andbeauty and texture each song had to offer.