For over 25 years, the Minneapolis based collective, Happy Apple, has delivered it's own enigmatic vision of jazz and improvised music to an adoring cognoscenti of listeners. Though they've found favor from the jazz community at large, the trio of saxophonist Michael Lewis, bassist Erik Fratzke, and drummer Dave King remains a band of outsiders, three independent personalities with eclectic tastes and styles providing music with an obtuse Midwestern charm.

Mostly known for their electric live performances, Happy Apple has been a hard beast to capture on record. Though they recorded frequently in the early 2000s, the members admit they never truly captured their "real" band sound. So, when Happy Apple decided to record after a long hiatus, they decided to get it right. "New York CD" is the recording that the band agrees finally captures the essence of Happy Apple. The music they recorded included pieces that had been regular parts of their sets for 20 years along with brand new compositions, written especially for the recording sessions. Most of the pieces were done in first takes and without overdubs.