David Benoit - Earthglow

In October 2008, David Benoit took a much needed breather from the frenetic pace of life in Los Angeles and headed up to the mountains near Saratoga to become an artist in residence at Villa Montalvo. Finding peaceful solitude and discovering fresh inspiration in a small cabin near the non-profit Montalvo Arts Center, the five time GRAMMY® nominated veteran composer and pianist--one of contemporary jazz's most acclaimed artists for over two decades--wrote "Botswana Bossa Nova" and "Will's Chill," two unique pieces unlike any he had done before. These became the foundation for the overall global music concept behind Benoit's stirring and provocative new CD Earthglow, his first set of original material in four years.

The title track was inspired by the stunning NASA photo of our planet which graces the cover. In an age where many listeners prefer the instant gratification of purchasing individual tracks, Benoit takes the bold step of writing good old fashioned liner notes to explain the way the eclectic 11-track collection developed. While many instrumental artists slap easy, throwaway titles on their projects, with Earthglow, Benoit put a lot of effort into finding the perfect title that would convey his musical and cultural intentions: "The task of finding a title to best represent the music contained herein was challenging at best. I started with `Frozen Music,' a term to describe architecture, but with the exception of a few of my notable architect friends, nobody really got it. Then `New Creation' was suggested but as we began to discuss artwork and concept, the title seemed uninspired and lacking a theme. I went back and reviewed all the song titles and 'Earthglow' jumped out at me. I believe it was the best word to illustrate the spirit of the project."

For David Benoit fans old and new, basking in the Earthglow is bound to be a transcendent experience as well as an invitation to explore exciting new frontiers in jazz.

01. Botswana Bossa Nova
02. Will's Chill
03. Unbelievable
04. Easy Day
05. Straightaway
06. New Creation
07. Earthglow
08. Sneaky As A Cat
09. Downtime
10. Brownie's Gone
11. Freedom At Midnight (The Schroeder Variations)