Rendezvous (Jacky Terrasson and Cassandra Wilson album)

Rendezvous is a collaborative studio album by American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson and jazz pianist Jacky Terrasson. The album was released on 23 September 1997 by Blue Note label.[8] The album includes mostly jazz and pop standards with one track written by Terrasson.[9] The album's title derives from an obscure Herbie Hancock's ballad.[10]

Rendezvous
Studio album by
Cassandra Wilson & Jacky Terrasson
Released23 September 1997
RecordedJanuary 4 5 6 19 and April 4, 1997
StudioClinton Recording Studios, New York City.
GenreJazz, blues
Length48:02
LabelBlue Note 7243 8 55484 2 0
ProducerBob Belden
Cassandra Wilson chronology
New Moon Daughter
(1995)		 Rendezvous
(1997)		 Traveling Miles
(1999)
Jacky Terrasson chronology
Reach
(1994)		 Rendezvous
(1997)		 Alive
(1998)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Buffalo News[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
Los Angeles Times[4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[5]
The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide[6]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz[7]

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".[11] Adam Shatz of The New York Times called the release "a luckluster album of standards".[12] 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".[4]

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".[13] 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."[14] The Buffalo News 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..."[2]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Old Devil Moon"Yip Harburg, Burton Lane5:45
2."Chan's Song"Herbie Hancock5:44
3."Tennessee Waltz"Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart4:45
4."Little Boy Lost"Alan Bergman, Michel Legrand5:03
5."Autumn Leaves"Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer, Jacques Prévert2:03
6."It Might as Well Be Spring"Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers4:55
7."My Ship"Ira Gershwin, Kurt Weill3:24
8."I Remember You"Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger3:00
9."Tea for Two"Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans4:45
10."If Ever I Would Leave You"Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe5:28
11."Chicago 1987"Jacky Terrasson3:10
Total length:48:02

The Japanese release includes two additional tracks: "Come Rain or Come Shine" written by Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen, and "Medieval Blues" by Mino Cinelu.

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
Chart (1997) Peak
position
US Jazz Albums (Billboard)[15] 10

References
  1. Yanow, Scott. "Jacky Terrasson / Cassandra Wilson Rendezvous". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  2. Jeff, Simon (3 October 1997). "In Brief". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  3. Larkin, Colin. "The Encyclopedia of Popular Music". p. 5871. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  4. Heckman, Don (12 October 1997). "JACKY TERRASSON & CASSANDRA WILSON "Rendezvous" Blue Note * * *". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  5. Cook, Richard. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. p. 1277. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  6. Swenson, John (1999). The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide. Random House. Retrieved 23 September 2019. Blue Skies (Cassandra Wilson album).
  7. Larkin, Colin (2004). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz. Virgin. p. 852. ISBN 978-1-85227-183-1. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  8. "Jacky Terrasson & Cassandra Wilson – Rendezvous". Discogs. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  9. "Cassandra Wilson gives standards a twist". TODAY.com. August 15, 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  10. Joyce, Mike (7 January 1998). "WILSON, TERRASSON'S INTIMATE 'RENDEZVOUS'". Washington Post. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  11. Tabak, Jonathan (November 1, 1997). "Jacky Terrasson & Cassandra Wilson, Rendezvous (Blue Note)". OffBeat. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  12. Shatz, Adam (24 March 2002). "MUSIC; A Jazz Diva Who's Losing Interest in Jazz". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  13. McElfresh, Suzanne (November 1997). "Jacky Terrasson and Cassandra Wilson: Rendezvous". Vibe. Vibe Media Group. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  14. Primack, Bret (1 December 1997). "Jacky Terrasson and Cassandra Wilson: Rendezvous". JazzTimes. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  15. "CASSANDRA WILSON: CHART HISTORY". Billboard. billboard.com. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
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