Now...Here...This

...this one is a relaxed, soft affair made for lazy evenings.
Adam Greenburg

Now, here's where a record label begins, with four kindred spirits, four friends, four aces of this American vernacular we call jazz, sharing obvious pleasure in a rich set of songs from both the popular and modern jazz traditions.

The drummer John Bishop has a sister named Christy, who owns an art gallery in Eugene, Oregon named Provenance (a synonym for "origin," and therefore this label's name). The gallery presents live music weekly, and the graciously elegant guitarist, Mike Denny, is a regular performer. John often finds his way to Provenance from home, Seattle, and occasionally brings his peers along. When the bassist Jeff Johnson and the tenor saxophonist Rick Mandyck joined John and Mike for an evening's music, it became clear that something so fine needed to be preserved for posterity.

We'll spare you the details, but recommend the results, this fine CD. Some people feel that the jazz of the Pacific Northwest tends to a style of its own, an approach which favors reflection, openness and lightness over mere virtuosic display. Now . . . Here . . . This is a splendid example of such music. There is an adult quality, an assurance, here. The group's palpable lilt lends itself to remarkable on-the-spot interaction, and to a combination of flexibility and joyful passion in song after song.

All four of the musicians here can be found on subsequent Origin recordings, often in very different musical contexts. But every great journey begins with a first step, and this is one of which we are all proud.

Production Info:

Produced by John Bishop
Executive Producer: Christy Bishop for Provenance, Inc.
Recorded Live to 2-track June 30, 1997
Engineered by Dave Dysart at Triad Studios, Redmond, WA
Mastered by Steve Sherrard at Music Tech
Cover Art by Todd Bishop
Layout & Design by John Bishop

Reviews of Now...Here...This

All Music Guide (Adam Greenburg)
Springing from a series of performances in Eugene, Oregon's art gallery walks, Now...Here...This is a studio recording attempting to mimic the dynamic of the live performances, minus the surrounding noise. The session was as a result unrehearsed and had no post-production. It's a very clean, very spontaneous sound. Mike Denny has a warm tone on the ...