Europeans knew about Garrison Fewell's jazz talent long before his fellow Americans discovered him. The Virginia native began his love affair with Europe on a visit to Marseille, France, in 1983. He went on to play hot jazz venues all over the continent, including Paris, Milan, Amsterdam, and Brussels. While the Europeans were learning about Fewell, he was busy learning their languages, becoming fluent in Italian and French. His relative obscurity in his homeland changed, however, with the release from Accurate Records of his first album in 1993. A Blue Deeper Than the Blue brought him to the attention of jazz lovers in the States and earned him a number of honors. Coda Magazine and United Press International included the recording on their lists of the year's ten best. The Boston Music Awards named the debut Best Jazz Album of the Year.