The musical duo of Jamal Mathis (piano) and Ryan Smith (violin) is bringing to the world a unique fusion of jazz and classical music. Though they have performed together for a number of years, they have finally released their first album together: "Faith, Hope & Love". The project grew out of a shared Christian faith and a love for jazz music. Jamal Mathis and Ryan Smith met while attending classes at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster, Texas and were soon performing together. Both musicians had a strong classical background, but were also interested in persuing jazz. Mathis holds a Bachelor's degree in piano performance and studied under Arlington "Ollie" Jones (pianist for sax player Thomas Braxton). He has also released a CD entitled "Music In The Mix" and has appeared on numerous concerts, radio and television programs. Smith holds a Bachelor's degree in music/media from the University of Texas at Arlington and studied violin with Scott Conklin. He interned under Emmy Award winning audio engineer David Boo