For Polaris, Skaff was looking to stretch out in a format he had not previously used—the standard trio of just guitar, bass, and drums. Without another chording instrument, Skaff carries the job of providing both the melody and supporting chordal structures. If that was not a heady enough prospect, he wanted to bring into the fold jazz luminaries Ron Carter and Albert “Tootie” Heath. The first sessions came together in the summer of 2019, however the second date almost didn’t happen, coming in March of 2020 just as New York City entered lockdown.