The collaboration between Duke Jordan and SteepleChase in the 70s represents a major body of Duke Jordan’s creative output both as performing artist and as composer. Duke led his regular trio with Wilbur Little and Dannie Richmond during the extensive Scandinavian tour in the autumn of 1978. This release is from the concert at the Art Museum at Høvikodden, Norway, filled with Duke Jordan’s melodic magic.

George Cables has proved again to be one of the most imaginative trio performers of today’s jazz scene with this his latest CD. “Listening to this absorbing recital by Mr. Cables, it seemed to me that he now epitomises the best of jazz mainstream piano. Here is a session which even the untutored lay listener can enjoy, with the familiarity of most the songs helping the process….” (Mark Gardner from the liner notes)

Stanley Cowell during the last five decades has not only been active on the jazz scene but also devoted himself in the musical education of younger generation. Now his well-earned retirement from teaching at the Rutgers enables him to spend more time in performing and recording. The latest album, which is his 13th release on this label, Stanley Cowell presents himself as a supreme interpreter of jazz’s standard titles. “…it's a great pleasure to hear Stanley Cowell's It's Time: a finely crafted collection of mostly originals that is at once sophisticated, both aggressive and pensive, and simply fascinating to listen to.” (Greg Simmons – AJJ on “It’s Time” SCCD 31740)

One of the greatest American jazz pianists Stanley Cowell has been more active as a dedicated educator than a recording artist in the last 10 years. Cowell now makes his recording comeback to delight us with his finest works. “ After more than a decade away from the recording studios, that fine and highly-regarded pianist/composer Stanley Cowell returns, and at the same time unveils a shining bright talent in his 20-year-old daughter Sunny, a fresh-sounding vocalist and accomplished viola player ” (Mark Gardner – from the liner notes)

ATLANTIC SINGLES COLLECTION 1968

Since his retirement in 2013 from the professorship at the prestigious Rutgers University, where he led its jazz department, pianist/composer/educator Stanley Cowell has been increasingly active on the scene both in concerts and recordings. This new album with a featured program of Christmas melodies (Xmas Suite) will be introduced to the audience at New York’s Smoke Jazz & Supper Club. “…it's a great pleasure to hear Stanley Cowell's It's Time: a finely crafted collection of mostly originals that is at once sophisticated, both aggressive and pensive, and simply fascinating to listen to.” (Greg Simmons – AAJ on “It’s Time” SCCD 31740)

Howard Shelley's survey of the piano music is an undoubted highlight of the Mendelssohn revival. In this, the final instalment of the series, he focuses on late works and posthumous publications.

Schubert: Piano Sonatas D664 769a & 894 - Stephen Hough - The late G major sonata followed such landmarks as the 'Great' C major symphony and Schubert's last string quartet, and explores similarly expansive terrain; the A major is an earlier, genial work. These frame the brief D769a fragment, which adds to the uniqueness of Stephen Hough's marvellous recital.

“Bud was a genius piano player–the best there was of all the bebop piano players.” - Miles Davis “If I had to choose one single musician for his artistic integrity, for the incomparable originality of his creation and the grandeur of his work, it would be Bud Powell. He was in a class by himself" – Bill Evans Bud Powell 1962 is something we at SteepleChase have been obsessed with for a while. The previous release SCCD 36040 “Bud Powell 1962 Copenhagen” was from the recordings made at the Danish Radio Concert Hall and Jazzhus Montmartre. What we have here is from the same year from the fabled Golden Circle where SteepleChase’s 5-volume releases At The Golden Circle come from. The Swedish part of this release were recorded two days prior to those SteepleChase releases. Bud Powell travelled on to Oslo Norway the same year to perform some memorable tracks captured here before going back to USA for the last time.

Bud Powell was “the foundation out of which stemmed the whole edifice of modern jazz piano" (Herbie Hancock) and “the greatest be-bop piano player in the world “ (Hampton Hawes). Though his life was short and troubled (1924 – 1966), Bud found some solace and tranquillity during the years (1959 – 1963) he lived in Europe (mostly in Paris). The recordings that make up this album are from March and August of 1962 from Danish Radio Concert Hall and Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen. However battered mentally and physically the man was, here’s the clear evidence of his genius more intact than generally believed.

The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs awarded a rosette to Stephen Hough’s earlier Gramophone Award-winning Hyperion recording of Mompou, and this successor is equally fine. Música callada comprises twenty-eight exquisite miniatures, brief in duration yet rich in allusion: music which makes its mark with subtlety, understatement and a unique economy of means.

REVIEW:

Hough is the ideal guide to the music of Mompou. He wholly inhabits the music’s mystical atmosphere, its holy simplicity. Exquisite sensitivity is matched by a steely strength. Sounds coalesce and insist on their presence, before disappearing into the ether. Austerity blends with warmth.

— BBC Music Magazine

Limited silver colored vinyl LP pressing. Lady Soul is a landmark statement of female empowerment and inspired vocal performance. Featuring massive hits such as "Chain of Fools," "(You Make Me Feel) Like A Natural Woman," "(Sweet, Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" and "Ain't No Way," Lady Soul topped the R & B charts and reached #2 on the Billboard 200. Aretha also provides her own unique and soulful interpretations of James Brown's "Money Won't Change You," Ray Charles' "Come Back Baby" and Curtis Mayfield's civil rights anthem, "People Get Ready." Rolling Stone recently named Aretha Franklin as the #1 Greatest Singer of All Time and it's all in evidence on Lady Soul.

US 180-gram vinyl pressing. Extension of a Man is an album released by the R&B/Soul singer Donny Hathaway in 1973. It was his last studio album. It's noted for including a young Stanley Clarke of (then) Return to Forever on a couple of tracks, as well as drummer Fred White, brother to Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White (who worked with Hathaway in Chicago in the early days).

Distinguished pianist/composer Stanley Cowell (b. 1941 Toledo, Ohio) embarked on his jazz career in the mid-60s. Ensuing his rapid raise to the prominence Stanley Cowell made indelible contribution to jazz over the next 60 years. Even though he’s been dedicating more time in educating younger generation and composing for classically oriented larger ensembles since the 80’s, he stayed close to jazz releasing 15 albums for SteepleChase. His latest album here from October 2019 finds this stately Professor Emeritus cutting loose at the famed Keystone Korner in Baltimore with his handpicked two-horn quintet plus a guest vocalist Sunny Cowell. “The Cowell album portrays a fascinating piano stylist with many ingredients under his fingers. The programming, like Cowell’s lines and contrary motion, flows beautifully…The set confirms Cowell as a melodic and harmonic delight and a clever dealer of rhythmic wild cards. It’s good to have this update.” (Kirk Silsbee – DownBeat **** SCCD 31809 Reminiscent)

Chopin's piano sonatas span a wide creative period, from his time as a student to five years before his death, when he was still in good health and his relationship with George Sand had not yet begun to deteriorate. Two of the three Chopin piano sonatas are cornerstones of the romantic piano repertoire; the first sonata is heard far less frequently in performance or recording. Chopin has been most revered as a miniaturist; much has been written discussing Chopin's larger-scale works: some have criticized his seeming lack of formal skill, while others have come to praise his compositional anomalies as innovation and ingenuity. Regardless, Chopin's characteristically transcendent, fluid melodies, unique pianistic beauty and distinctive poetic voice permeate these three sonatas.

Single disc containing 20 highlights from 2021 box set. To say that Aretha Franklin was one of the greatest American artists of all time is an understatement. Her multi-octave voice moved millions around the world during an unrivaled career that spanned six decades and garnered the singer-songwriter every achievement and honor imaginable.

Double vinyl LP pressing. To say that Aretha Franklin was one of the greatest American artists of all time is an understatement. Her multi-octave voice moved millions around the world during an unrivaled career that spanned six decades and garnered the singer-songwriter every achievement and honor imaginable. This 2LP version features 20 highlight tracks from the CD box set.

Chopin: Etudes

The decade long collaboration between pianist Stanley Cowell and guitarist Vic Juris as fellow faculty members at the renowned Rutgers-Mason Gross School of the Arts produced here a fantastic “new world” of sounds of contemporary jazz. The latest and most powerful version of sound design soft wear called KYMA in the hand of creative artists dazzles us with the unique real-time music with no after-production touch-ups but expanded horizon of improvisation. The rhythm section of the quartet is two enormously talented former students of Cowell: bassist Tom DiCarlo and drummer Chris Brown.

Vinyl LP pressing. Released in 1969, Aretha's Gold is the chart-topping greatest hits compilation that features her biggest hits from her early Atlantic albums: 'Respect', 'Think', '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman', 'Chain of Fools', and more.

This Now Playing shines the spotlight on Donny Hathaway with a tracklist that spans soulful themes of love, hope, and introspection. It includes iconic songs like "The Ghetto - Part 1," "A Song For You," and "Where Is The Love" featuring Roberta Flack, showcasing his emotive vocals and poignant lyrics. This collection also delves into social issues with tracks like "Little Ghetto Boy" and ends on a hopeful note with "Someday We'll All Be Free," leaving a lasting impact with it's soul-stirring melodies and messages of resilience.

Double purple vinyl LP pressing. Platinum Best Of that's never been released on vinyl. Includes the holiday favorite 'This Christmas' as well as his famous duets with Roberta Flack 'The Closer I Get to You' and 'Where Is The Love'. This collection has been the go-to for Donny Hathaway fans old and new for 30 years.

Diana Krall - "The Look Of Love (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series)" / The Look of Love is a lush, cinematic collection of ballads and bossa nova tunes, produced by Tommy LiPuma, arranged and conducted by the legendary Claus Ogerman, and featuring the London Symphony Orchestra. Originally released in 2001, The Look of Love brings to mind such classic Frank Sinatra albums as In the Wee Small Hours and Only The Lonely - but the elegant piano solos, sensual vocals and wickedly modern sense of humor are, inimitably, all Diana Krall. Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered on 180grAm vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging. [2 LP] Special Pkg:180gram Heavy

Blu-ray With 192/24 Resolution Quadraphonic And Hi-Res Stereo Mixes Transferred From The Original Half-Inch Four-Channel Masters Quadraphonic sound, or 4.0 surround sound, utilizes four audio channels connected to four speakers positioned at the corners of a listening space. The multi-tracked audio is mixed dimensional, immersing the listener in an expansive soundscape. Donny Hathaway's final studio album, EXTENSION OF A MAN, released in 1973, was a collaborative effort with renowned musicians Stanley Clarke (Return to Forever), Fred White, Al Kooper, Billy Preston, and many more. The album featured the transcendent track "Someday We'll All Be Free," which featured lyrics from Hathaway's close friend and manager, Edward Howard.

Polymath Sir Stephen Hough has a growing reputation as a composer of chamber, choral and above all solo piano music with four sonatas and a constellation of dazzling arrangements to his name. This album presents the premiere recording of his first piano concerto, recorded by the pianist with The Hall� under Sir Mark Elder. It's subtitle 'The world of yesterday' deliberately places the work in a broader context of the pianist-virtuosi of yesteryear who composed and performed their own piano concertos as they toured the world.

Pianist/composer Stanley Cowell at age 75 is having an on-going renaissance as a performer since his retirement from Rutgers University in 2013. The group presented here is scheduled to have a three-night stint at New York City’s renowned live jazz spot Smokes in May. This is Cowell’s 15th release from SteepleChase. “…Cowell’s recording career now spans more than thirty years….an impressive consistency of purpose and the highest level of musical thought.” (Richard Cook & Brian Morton – The Penguin Guide to Jazz)

Aretha Franklin Greatest Hits (Vinyl) - Beyond the timeless classic hits such as "Respect," "A Natural Woman," "Chain Of Fools," "Think," "Daydreaming" and "Freeway Of Love" among the dozens of chart-topping records that have established her as a cultural icon, Aretha Franklin's catalog of over forty albums in forms listeners of her unmatched, unparalleled artistry as an interpreter of song, bar none. Her elevation to 'royal' status is indeed not just a function of her hit making ability but of her unique inventiveness as a musician who fuses art and soul seamlessly. Indeed, it's often been said that Aretha could take 'happy birthday' and turn it into a veritable opus and while those who know her will testify to her culinary skills in the kitchen, it is her mastery as a musical chef that is evident on each and every one of those forty-plus albums, many of which have achieved gold and platinum status.

Peanuts Portraits [LP] Vince Guaraldi Featuring the vivid musical cues that Guaraldi wrote for the cast of the Peanuts characters, this 'Peanuts Portraits' LP adds new dimensions to beloved regulars like Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder and Sally. In addition to nine songs performed by Guaraldi, the album also includes two classic Peanuts tunes recorded by pianist George Winston. Eight of the selections (including Winston renditions of "Linus And Lucy" and "Masked Marvel"), make their vinyl debut on Peanuts Portraits.

CHOPIN ORBIT The eagerly anticipated second album by celebrated Japanese pianist and composer Hayato Sumino (aka 'Cateen') Available on CD & Vinyl. - Following the success of his acclaimed Sony debut Human Universe, Hayato Sumino-known globally as 'Cateen'-returns with Chopin Orbit, a conceptually rich and emotionally resonant album that places the music of Fr�d�ric Chopin at it's center. - Chopin, Sumino's favorite composer, has long been a gravitational force in his artistic life. That connection was first spotlighted during his standout performances at the 2021 International Chopin Competition and now takes full flight in Chopin Orbit. This unique collection features Sumino's original compositions inspired by Chopin's masterpieces, not as imitations but as creative echoes-melodies and motifs reimagined through the lens of a 21st century classical artist. - Included are pieces such as Chopin's Polonaise-Fantasie op. 61, Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Berceuse, and Raindrop Prelude, alongside Hayato's original works White Keys and Post Rain. Also featured are works by Thomas Ad�s, Leopold Godowsky, and Leo� Jan�cek-highlighting Chopin's influence across generations

CHOPIN ORBIT The eagerly anticipated second album by celebrated Japanese pianist and composer Hayato Sumino (aka 'Cateen') Available on CD & Vinyl. - Following the success of his acclaimed Sony debut Human Universe, Hayato Sumino-known globally as 'Cateen'-returns with Chopin Orbit, a conceptually rich and emotionally resonant album that places the music of Fr�d�ric Chopin at it's center. - Chopin, Sumino's favorite composer, has long been a gravitational force in his artistic life. That connection was first spotlighted during his standout performances at the 2021 International Chopin Competition and now takes full flight in Chopin Orbit. This unique collection features Sumino's original compositions inspired by Chopin's masterpieces, not as imitations but as creative echoes-melodies and motifs reimagined through the lens of a 21st century classical artist. - Included are pieces such as Chopin's Polonaise-Fantasie op. 61, Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Berceuse, and Raindrop Prelude, alongside Hayato's original works White Keys and Post Rain. Also featured are works by Thomas Ad�s, Leopold Godowsky, and Leo� Jan�cek-highlighting Chopin's influence across generations.