| Stereophile, America's leading high-end audio journal, internationally renowned for its classical and test recordings, is breaking new ground with its first jazz recording. Rendezvous, a sparkling quintet date lead by New York jazz luminary Jerome Harris on acoustic bass guitar, is set for street release on June 1, 1999.  Harris is widely admired as a "musician's musician" for his work--on guitar and bass guitar--with creative stylists ranging from Sonny Rollins and Jack DeJohnette to Bill Frisell and Bobby Previte. Here, he takes up the composer/leader role for the fourth time on record, eliciting probing mainstream jazz performances of freshness and depth. "We're seeking new routes to cherished destinations," Harris says. Even the instrument Harris employs on Rendezvous--a visually striking Taylor acoustic bass guitar, rather than the common solid-body electric bass or the traditional upright bass--signifies the attitude that distinguishes this project.  For Rendezvous, Harris assembled a group of players--all experienced bandleaders and recording artists--with character and personality in their sound. Alto saxophonist Marty Ehrlich's creative collaborations include performances with Andrew Hill, Peter Erskine, Muhal Richard Abrams, and Julius Hemphill; he has received composing commissions from pianist Ursula Oppens and the Rova Saxophone Quartet. Trombonist Art Baron may be the only musician to have both Duke Ellington and Stevie Wonder among his touring credits; he has also played with Illinois Jacquet, soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, and frame-drum virtuoso Glen Velez. Vibraphonist Steve Nelson, a long time member of bassist Dave Holland's recording and touring bands, has played with Bobby Watson, Mulgrew Miller, and Kirk Lightsey. Drummer Billy Drummond, one of New York's most in-demand players, has worked with Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Steve Kuhn, and Renee Rosnes.
Rendezvous features a set of six Harris originals, including the evocative ballad "Only Then," the straight-ahead charmer "Cool Pursuit," and the Africa-inspired "Hand by Hand." An additional treat is the fresh and unconventional arrangement of Duke Ellington's famous Cotton Club-era standard, "The Mooche."  Matching the quality of the music on Rendezvous is its audiophile-quality sound. Recorded by Stereophile editor John Atkinson at Blue Heaven Studio--a new state of the art facility built by Chad Kassem (owner of mail-order retailer Acoustic Sounds and AcousTech Mastering) in Salina, Kansas--this live-to-multitrack, 20-bit recording features the kind of spacious, live sound that makes you feel as if you are ringside in a jazz club watching and listening as the band works its magic. |
