The secret ingredients of any successful contemporary music recording
are the behind-the-scenes musicians who groove in the studio. The unique
skills these pros bring to a project - instrumental proficiency, concise,
structured solos, imagination, episodic emotion - are often the crucial
determinants that cause a recording to rise and fall. In a coast-to-coast
sea of hotshot studio sharks, only a handful become killer whales in the
ocean of starfish possibilities. Larry carlton, Marcus Miller, and
Michael Brecker are members of this elite school of sessioners - composers -
producers: it's time to add keyboardist Philippe Saisse to this
pantheon.
As a valued session player, Saisse has recorded with the likes of the B-52's, Tina Turner and Vanessa Williams as a composer, he's had his songs covered by folk of the staure of Chaka Kahn (Chinatown), David Sanborn (Tintin) and Al Di Meola (Black Cat Shuffle). Somehow, Saisse managed to serve as music director of Sanborn's much-missed "Night Music" television show (1988-90) while wearing the producer's hat on recording dates for Ms. Khan as well as Al Jarreau and Kirk Whalum.
All of this has prepared Philippe Saisse for his masterful Verve Forecast
release, MASQUES. A veritable aural landscape of lushly melodic forests,
funky valleys and lyrically ascending peaks, MASQUES is one exhilaratingly
scenic road trip. Saisse has written all 13 tunes here: they range from the
trippy funk of "Me & The Boys" and "Feelin' Kinda Sexy" (vocal swing courtesy
of Ms. Yvette Cason) to the aching romanticism of "Images" and "Will You
Ever Know" (for Joniece). Along for the journey is a studio dreamband that
includes Miller, Kenny Garrett, Jonathan Butler and fellow Verve Forecaster
Chris Botti. The high levels of creatuivity and musicality found in
MASQUES are no deception...Philippe Saisse is a corner.
