(February 8, 2022) - "It's something I wanted to do for a long time...and Shanachie allowed me to slip three in," said Contemporary Jazz pianist David Benoit about his new project titled "A Midnight Rendezvous" (Shanachie Entertainment) due out February 18, 2022, which has three big band selections on it. "During the pandemic I had time. It's something fun, so I started writing."

This finished Contemporary Jazz project with three big band tunes offers 10 selections. "A Midnight Rendezvous" is executive produced by Benoit and Bud Harner (drums, percussions) and it features Eric Marienthal on sax and Jeff Lorber on keyboard, along with Roberto Vally on acoustic bass, Francisco Torres on trombone and Sal Lozano on sax.

"I strived to make something unique," David said about the album. "So the project and my songwriting is where I am as an artist. You'll notice new compositions, almost all originals and I had a chance to write new music...written with others too."

David's big band includes Eric on alto sax; Sal on alto sax; Gordon Goodwin on tenor sax; Jay Mason on baritone sax; Wayne Bergeron on trumpet; Dan Fornero on trumpet; Dan Rosenblum on trumpet; Francisco on trombone; Dan Schnelle on drums; Roberto on acoustic bass, and David on piano.

"It was originally named ‘Midnight Stroll' but someone had that name so I had to change it. I wanted it to be close to it (‘Midnight Stroll') and decided on ‘A Midnight Rendezvous,'" he informed me when I asked about where the title came from.

David Benoit has over 20 chart-topping radio hits and has scored music for film projects for such icons as Clint Eastwood and Sally Fields. He also scored soundtracks for such television shows as "Peanuts" and for Broadway and symphonies. As a musician he has worked with such artists as The Rippingtons, Faith Hill, David Sanborn and CeCe Winans-Love. He leads his own symphony called Pacific Vision Youth Symphony, which he founded in 2001. David has also collaborated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Philippine Philharmonic.

My favorite cuts on the "A Midnight Rendezvous" include #3 "The Bones" because its sound is soothing to the bone; #5 "Long Journey Home" because it sounds like the jazzy sweet sax is dancing with the jazzy sweet piano keys; #7 "You Make Me Smile" because the angelic keys sound like they are touching the sky in search of Heaven's gate; #8 "Generations" because of the sweet keyboard playing in the beginning, and throughout, just before the big band sound is surprising and reminiscent of the Cab Calloway sound, and #10 "Cabin Fever" because I love the crazy jazzy key work by David and how the sax and other horns takes the sound from Smooth Jazz to Big Band. www.Shanachie.com www.Benoit.com