John W. Duarte (1919-2004) studied at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manchester. He worked as a chemist until 1969, but then gave up his studies to devote himself entirely to music after Len Williams, the father of John Williams, persuaded him to do so. His only formal musical training consisted of jazz guitar lessons with Terence "Terry" Usher, the rest he taught himself. He also worked professionally as a trumpeter and double bass player and worked regularly as a jazz musician with Coleman Hawkins and Django Reinhardt, among others.

Duarte's work displays an exceptionally wide stylistic range. Some works reflect the Renaissance style of court lutenists such as John Dowland, others alternate stylistically between aleatoric, atonal and graphic, are conventionally notated and allow spontaneous reactions between the performers. In many other works he uses a tonal language that is often influenced by the folk music traditions of various nations and has a romantic touch.

John Duarte was a great admirer of American musical styles. Three musical styles are typically American: the folk music of the settlers from the British Isles, jazz with its African-American origins and the music of American musical theater. All these styles are expressed in the musical program 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 theater music in the arrangements of George Gershwin's songs. "Americana" contains examples of each of these musical styles.

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