Freefall

Felix Baumgartner's historic sky jump on October 14, 2012 set records for height (24 miles) and free fall speed (843.6 mph), and the evocative music on this CD is both a tribute to, and a soundtrack for, his daring endeavor. The titles of many of the nine compositions are taken from direct quotes by Baumgartner or his trainer, and the pieces trace his journey from the hot air balloon ascent and anxious moments in the stratosphere to the free fall and final parachuting (another record at 5000 feet) into the desert near Roswell, NM. The composers are saxophonist Andrew Rathbun, pianist Jeremy Siskind, and bassist Tom Knific, who along with drummer Keith Hall comprise the latest incarnation of the Western Jazz Quartet, a resident faculty ensemble of the School of Music at Western Michigan University. The Western Jazz Quartet was formed in 1974 and has performed and toured world wide, while also releasing a number of albums both in the U.S and Europe, none perhaps as fascinating or unique as Free Fall.