Faun

Though Ted Brown co-led a CD (“Dig-It” SCCD 31466) with Lee Konitz in 1999, this is the first leader album in some 15 years for this legendary tenor stylist from the Lennie Tristano school. “ Ted has been an uncompromising individualist throughout his stop/start career. From an early age he realised and recognised the importance of following his own path in music. He refused to be thrown off course or swayed by commercial or fashionable considerations. Consequently his playing has retained a personal quality absent from the legions of saxophone clones lacking the courage of their own convictions.” (Mark Gardner)

This is trumpeter/composer Dave Scott’s leader debut CD, though Dave has been one of the most sought after musicians both on East and West Coasts performing with Gerry Mulligan, Tom Harrell, Clark Terry, Kim Richmond, among others. “… in Song For Amy Dave Scott and his men have laid down an important first marker with this inaugural CD which confirms that this is a group with much to say and a stimulating, unhackneyed way of saying it.” (Mark Gardner form the liner notes)

Since his sensational debut CD in 1999 Ari Ambrose has received incredible amount of acclaims. To quote a few: “…. Ambrose is a star on the rise.” (Chris Hovan, Jazzreview.com), “… Ari Ambrose steps to the fore as a fully formed stylist … also a writer of substance.” (Chuck Berg, JazzTimes), “… a first class young musician … ” (Eddie Blackwell, Jazz Journal), “… Ambrose is striving mightily to have his voice be heard and recognized on its own merits … ” (Derek Taylor, one final note), “… a very satisfying and fascinating album from a very fine player… ” (Mike Rogers, JazzReview). On this his 7th album Ari expertly leads his quintet to display his ever-evolving creativity.

What modesty forbids Harold Danko from saying is that he interprets and handles this diversity of material in a most personal and refreshing manner which would surely please the composers, who also were/are all working instrumentalists. The Danko/Formanek/Hirshfield coalition is a unit that functions with unanimity. While Harold may have opted for a solo piano approach his two companions worked beautifully around that stance to achieve a wholly integrated blend. (from Mark Gardner's liner notes)

So In Love

Japan’s leading jazz magazine Swing Journal hailed Dave Ballou on his SteepleChase debut CD (SCCD 31436 Amongst Ourselves) by saying “…here comes a new artist with solid beautiful sound and tremendous imagination and technique who can tell his own story…” But it also said, “…if you are not used to this type (free) of music, you may find it hard to follow…” - not on this his third release under his own name. Dave Ballou chose a quartet format with piano (George Colligan) and, besides his own compositions, some of the popular titles from the jazz repertoire letting us know that he belongs to a tradition.

“...In this duo acoustic guitar session, the brothers Ferré grab and hold attention ...they maintain a lively, imaginative interplay... greatly extend the library for acoustic guitar. This is a worthy follow-up of their earlier album SCCD 31120 Pour Django.” (Ottawa Citizen, May 1, 1981)

On previous SteepleChase Jam Session series, CD Review’s Rick Finlay wrote:“… SteepleChase’s series of jam sessions drawing together the cream of the contemporary jazz world makes a refreshing change these days. …. highly recommended.”

Russian-Born Gene Segal, who moved to USA as a child, is one of the elite guitarists of the younger generation from the New York scene. After receiving his Master’s Degree in composition from prestigious William Patterson University Gene immersed himself in New York’s competitive and creative milieu to find his own voice as an instrumentalist and composer. This Gene Segal’s SteepleChase Lookout debut is the first glimpse into an ever-evolving artist revealing his fascination with Frensh composer Olivier Messiaen, one of the most important composers of the 20th century.

SteepleChase Lookout is proud to introduce another new exciting artist, originally from Italy currently New York-based Paolo Sapia who started his professional career as jazz pianist. Paolo changed his instrument to alto saxophone in 2004 and moved to New York City with a scholarship from New York University in 2005.Since then Paolo has studied, performed and recorded in USA with a broad range of musicians including Eric McPherson, Jimmy Cobb, Antonio hart, Kevin Hays, Bob Mover, Jeremy Manasia, Mark Turner, Reggie Workman, Quincy Davis, Sam Harris, Eden Ladin, Marco Panascia, Harold O’Neil, Vincent Herring, Joseph Lepore, Luca Santaniello. Philip Dizack, Peter Zak, Rafal Sarnecki, Joel Holmes, Wayne Escoffery, Reggie Quinerly, Mike Eckroth, Jimmy Owens , among others..

Like his mentor Von Freeman, trumpeter Brad Goode has been a star player in the Chicago scene for quite some time. Though classically trained in violin, trumpet and contrabass and with Bachelor and Master degrees in music, Brad Goode learned and shaped his style as jazz musician by performing with numerous local musicians in Chicago including his partner on this recording legendary saxophonist/trumpeter Ira Sullivan. This is Brad Goode’s first CD on SteepleChase.

At the height of her art, the composer and jazz pianist Lorraine Desmarais offers a new work that celebrates the estuary of St. Lawrence River, connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Reminiscences of landscapes surveyed and loved, of people met and appreciated feed the movements of the music suite with pictorial accents. Requisitioning the full potential of the piano, an instrument that is at once melodic, harmonic, and percussive, Lorraine Desmarais paints a fresco with an extensive palette, sometimes figurative, sometimes abstract.

When this album was first released as LP in February 1977, the unanimous reaction from the press all over the world was “ ...at long last, the first leader album by Knepper in 18 years! ....and it was worth waiting for...”. Trombonist Jimmy Knepper (b. Nov. 22, 1927 in L.A.) has been the essential part of the Mingus Dynasty in the 50s and later with Gil Evans Orchestra, Jones-Lewis Big Band and Nonet led by Lee Konitz. “Cunningbird is simply one of the best straight-ahead trombone albums in many years...” (The Daily California)

New Autumn

Special drummer-led album. While Elios Zigmund is best known for his long association with pianist Bill Evans in the 70s, he has been a major force both on the West Coast and NY scenes in the past few decades. “… Mr. Zigmund is more than merely well equipped for leadership, as he demonstrates so convincingly on this excellent session…” (Mark Gardner)

Allaboutjazz’s Elliott Simon remarked on LaSpina’s 2004 album “Remember When” “There can be something very special about a bassist-led session. Perhaps it is their knowledge of both time and melody that, when coupled with the rich emotional sound of their instrument, results in some of the most creative jazz….”

"...These young Danes displayed a remarkable maturity and a sure grasp of the idioms of the day...Bent Axen, a pianist who showed tremendous facility in absorbing American influences...and transmuting them into something which was full of character.... The trio date represents NHØP's first recording session. You will simply not believe from the aural evidence that he was just 14 years old at the time." (Richard Williams, Melody Maker)

To conclude 2004 releases SteepleChase is proud to introduce a debut album by composer / pianist Ms. Sila Cevikce. Sila was born in Ankara, Turkey and has lived in the past 10 years in USA. She studied jazz composition and performance at the Berklee College of Music and University of South Florida. When she embarked on her professional career in NYC several years ago, her enormous talent was immediately recognized. Sila has since established herself as a respected and admired member of the highly competitive New York jazz scene. “… a bright and adventurous talent with much to offer as writer and performer.” (Mark Gardner)

Organist Mark Minchello is no stranger to SteepleChase, having been a member of Elliot Zigmund’s group Trio EZ. He is at home in both the jazz and pop worlds. He has worked with traditional jazz artists Cecil Payne and Ted Curson as well as contemporary jazz artists Boney James, Gerald Albright and Will Downing. For 18 years he served as musical director to R&B Diva Regina Belle. On this leader debut album Mark brings fresh ideas to the great tradition of organ jazz.

Trumpeter/Composer/Arranger/Educator/Actor Jason Palmer, the winner of several prestigious competitions including the 2009 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition presents his first quartet album here. As always Jason is keen on sharing with the listeners how the music is conceived, developed and performed in his meticulously organized liner notes. The music which based on a Sudoku game originates in the 2007 commissioned work by the Festival of New Trumpet Music in N.Y.C. “…what a superb record it is; one that will caress the discerning ear and repay hours of repeated listening being a refined post-modern extension of timeless hard-bop conventions that will stimulate the palate, jaded by too much exposure to so-called `cutting edge’ eclecticism.” (Euan Dixon - Jazz View on Places SCCD 31780)

Soon

Nuages

This CD marks Goode's second effort as a leader for SteepleChase. The long time Chicago veteran - now a professor of jazz studies at The University of Cincinnati - has also appeared on two other CDs recently released by SteepleChase in tandum with the legendary tenor saxophonist Von Freeman ("Inside Chicago, vol 1 & 2, SCCD 31500, 31501). Goode's first effort as a leader for the label ("Toy Trumpet" SCCD 31491) featured a collaboration with Ira Sullivan and "represents just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Goode's sounds which are getting attention after years of neglect". - Neil Tesser - Jazziz Magazine. This recording reveals yet another section of this iceberg.

Peter Zak continues his high quality trio recordings, this time, with bassist and Zak’s old friend Peter Washington and Rodney Greene on drums providing a strong new entry to his impressive discography. Thomas Conrad of JazzTimes wrote on Zak’s earlier release “Seed of Sin” (SCCD 31641): “To “get” Zak, you have to pay close attention. The surfaces of his music seem conventional until you notice how imaginatively his improvisations are developed, and how intelligently they tie. Zak invariably comes upon lovely notes you never anticipated … ” On Zak’s solo album “My Conception” (SCCD 31619) Terrell Kent Holmes of AAJ commented “Zak always makes the right choices, and audiences will continue to reap the benefits of hearing this wonderfully talented piano man”.