''Rendezvous'' is a collaborative studio album by American jazz singer
Cassandra Wilson and jazz pianist
Jacky Terrasson. The album was released on September 23, 1997, by
Blue Note label. The album includes mostly jazz and pop standards with one track written by Terrasson. The album's title derives from a
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...
ballad.
Recording
Recordings were made on January 4, 5, 6, and 19, and April 4, 1997, at Clinton Recording Studios in New York City. All the songs were arranged by Jacky Terrasson. The music material was recorded and mixed on analog recorder recorders (A800 and A880) without noise reduction; also no equalizers were used during mastering.
Reception
Jonathan Tabak of ''
OffBeat'' commented "Terrasson’s piano draws more blues out of Wilson’s voice than the electric guitar to which she’s accustomed. Here she sounds like a more fragile
Nina Simone. She seems to be kissing each syllable goodbye with heart-rending tenderness, as though she doesn’t want to release her soul’s bounty until the last possible moment. Rendezvous reminds us that a thousand delicate whispers have greater romantic impact than a single shout". Adam Shatz of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' called the release "a luckluster album of standards". Don Heckman of ''
The Los Angeles Times'' stated "The mood throughout the album is dark and thoughtful. These are not interpretations that reach out to grab the listeners. But there are ample rewards for listeners willing to take the time to go with Terrasson's and Wilson's always mesmerizing readings".
Suzanne McElfresh of ''
Vibe'' added: "''Rendezvous'' is technically a collaboration, but this disc is an affair far more Jacky Terrasson's and Cassandra Wilson's." Bret Primack in his review for ''
JazzTimes'' stated, "Wilson is simply brilliant, her deep, smoky voice caressing each note and syllable. When she chooses, she creates immense emotional tension, just by holding back. In just a few short years, Cassandra Wilson has become the voice of the era and certain to be a major force in the 21st century."
''
The Buffalo News
''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York.
It was for decades the only paper fully owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. On January 29, 2020, th ...
'' review by Jeff Simon noted, "this is a marvelous meeting of two of the freshest and most open-minded younger talents in jazz -- certainly the reigning specialists at radically revising great standards..."
Track listing
The Japanese release includes two additional tracks: "
Come Rain or Come Shine" written by
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Wallichs Music Cit ...
and
Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film ' ...
, and "Medieval Blues" by
Mino Cinélu.
Personnel
*Cassandra Wilson – vocals (tracks: 1 3 4 6 7 8 9 10)
*Jacky Terrasson – electric piano (tracks: 3 5), piano (tracks: 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11)
*
Lonnie Plaxico – bass (tracks: 1 3 6 7 8 9 10)
*
Mino Cinelu – percussion (tracks: 1 2 3 6 7 8 9 10)
Chart performance
References
{{Authority control
1997 collaborative albums
Blue Note Records albums
Cassandra Wilson albums
Jacky Terrasson albums