British vocalist and songwriter Jess Roden made a splash in the rock and pop worlds while signed to Island Records in the 1970s. After relocating to New York City, he was introduced to producer/bassist Steve Dwire. The two became friends and ended up in the short-lived band, The Rivits. During this time, Roden began recording home demos of eclectic material that was very different from his Island work. It was music influenced as much by contemporary jazz and new age as it was by rock.

Dwire met audio engineer Michael MacDonald while doing some independent production work. As a recording engineer, MacDonald had access to the top recording studios where he could develop his own music. Dwire and MacDonald began to share their music with one another and, eventually, Dwire introduced MacDonald to Roden and his demos. The three convened in Roden’s apartment on the Upper East Side to listen to the sketches, which they then began to flesh out.

The trio called their project Seven Windows and their self-titled 1986 release is a fantastic program of jazz influenced pop featuring New York City's greatest studio musicians.