Since the EP (extended play) recording format, an icon of the record industry I remember from yesteryear, is one that is still around today, I decided to do an EP for this CD release.

As a composer, I write in a variety of different styles and genres. Back in my earlier days with Warner Bros. Records, I was using my albums as a way to explore writing songs and music rather than going for commercial hits. I had instrumental pieces, songs, comedy songs, poems, etc. all mixed together. Sometimes certain kinds of material on the same album don’t fit that well together as a listening experience. An odd mix can end up being like, as the old saying goes, "apples & oranges." This album is all oranges.

All of the musical compositions and songs I write are crafted works, as opposed to spontaneous expression forms. I continue to work on and improve them. They evolve over the years and become what they are. The tunes on the Mason Williams EP 2003 are like this.

I think it’s pretty "crafty" to wait for a song to get just right before you record and release it. This makes it in a way like wine, in the sense that time and the aging process, contribute a lot to its character, always striving for an excellent finish. So, if you’re an EP curious epicurean, here’s an EP I hope you take a hankering to once you’ve harkened to it.