The story of the CD

In the nearly seven years since Eddie Jobson opened his online forum in January 2006, so much has happened that it's easy to lose track of all the major tours, live lineups, newly released material, meet-and-greets, and fan friendships. But sometimes a number can serve as a powerful reminder, and an indication of this eventful period is the release of this, our third tribute album.

In Theme of Appreciation 3, we present 51 minutes of original music inspired by Eddie, from his fans all over the world. We have divided the 14 tracks in this album into three "eras" to commemorate several of the various settings in which we have heard Eddie's recordings-- as a band member, solo artist and architect of the bands UK, U-Z, and UKZ. Like Eddie's music itself, however, the tracks defy strict classification as they are influenced by him as an overall musician and his additional roles as soundtrack artist, sound designer, producer and arranger.

The inspiration for this album came from discussions with other fans during the 2012 UK Night after Night tour; the sustained collective enthusiasm to create new music for Eddie made it an easy decision to undertake this effort. Over a six-month period, fans who were able to provide time from their busy lives poured their very best into this album. I thank them for their amazing efforts. I’d also like to thank the many other fans who could not find the time from their family and work responsibilities during these past six months but nonetheless provided enthusiasm and inspiration for this project in ways they may not fully realize.

Special thanks to Helen Lindhout for her stunning artwork and evocative lyrics which never fail to inspire me musically and also for her constant support throughout the project; to Lenny Ståhle for his boundless energy in creating new music and brilliance in creating a project website that helped us develop our music and reach new levels of collaboration on individual tracks; to Karl Welty for his masterful mastering of the album; and to Krissy Fleckenstein not only for her debut musical contributions but also for her extremely hard work in performing graphic design and layout for the album visuals.

First and foremost, and last but not least, this album is a gift to Eddie for how he continues to enhance our everyday lives through his music, for how wonderfully he treats us as his fans, and for the deep friendships that he has made possible by bringing us together. We have made this album freely available in the hopes that you will also enjoy it and to see how profoundly Eddie has influenced so many of us in the music we create all over the world.

Ben P. Stein
December 2012