Ray Smith, director of the Brigham Young University jazz ensemble 'Synthesis,' writes of this live release: "Welcome to our musical tour of Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania! We are excited to share with you the excitement and musical energy of our live performances for the people of the Baltic States and Scandinavia. Synthesis has had the privilege of sharing America's music- jazz- with many countries of the world, including Japan, China, Brazil, Russia, and much of Europe. We need no translation when we play; people everywhere feel and love jazz, and much goodwill ahs been fostered through our performances. I have tried before to record the band at the end of a tour with no success because of our being jet lagged and brain-dead. We decided this time to bring good microphones and record every concert and see what we could get. Thankfully, Jeff Carter traveled with us to engineer these recordings. It's amazing that he took these sounds from mostly outdoor performances- in shopping plazas and even in the woods. I hope you enjoy the recordings as much as we enjoyed playing these amazing tunes!" Synthesis is a musical melding of some of the finest musicians at Brigham Young University. Drawing freely from the various styles of Afro-American music, the ensemble has become known for versatility, spontaneity, and creativity in performance. The ensemble has toured Japan, China, Scandinavia, Russia, Europe, and Brazil, and has given numerous performances throughout the USA.

This unique release contains live recordings taken in 1957 and 1958 from the broadcast concert series Eddie Sauter’s Music Time, during which Eddie Sauter was leader of the orchestra at the Sudwestfunk. Trumpeter and bandleader Eddie Sauter took over Kurt Edelhagen’s orchestra at the Sudwestfunk in 1957. This was his first time conducting a jazz Big Band without a co-leader. Eddie Sauter’s Music Time became a place for Sauter to experiment with his music. The programme recorded here shows a fantastic balance between standards, originals, and experiments.

2022 release. Herb Alpert, the prolific Tijuana Brass titan, returns with Sunny Side Of The Street. This new set of 11 songs contains gentle ballads like "Childhood" and "Time After Time", upbeat romps like "Pata Pata" and "Tickle Time" and covers of classic songs like "I'll Remember You" and Louis Armstrong's "On The Sunny Side Of The Street". Few artists in the history of American music have been able to stay relevant decade after decade like the 87-year-old Alpert. So, put on your shades and take a walk with Herb on the Sunny Side Of The Street.

No one sounds quite like Barth. His solos are characterized by robust swing, his ability to tell a story, and by his rich, beguiling sound. -Zan Stewart, The Newark Star-Ledger. A pivotal member of New York's Jazz scene for 40 years, pianist Bruce Barth's inspired vision and generous accompaniment has always led to rich musical collaborations, none more so than with his working trio of many years with bassist Vincente Archer and drummer Montez Coleman. Their collective voice found it's perfect setting, which makes the release of "Dedication" a profound and emotion-filled moment, as Montez passed away 5 months after the recording session at the age of 48. Celebrating the joy and camaraderie Montez brought to their work, the thread of relationships, inspiration, guidance and gratefulness that imbued the recording revealed itself, leading Barth to present the music as a display of mindfulness of those gifts. "Dedication" is for the ones who give and is filled with life, dance and swing.

Austrian jazz pianist Rudi Wilfer is one of the great jazz minds of our time, who has had the privilege of playing with many of the greatest international jazz legends. With "Over the Rainbow", Wilfer now releases the logical sequel to his previous recording "Somewhere". Featuring new and very personal interpretations of standards like Basin Street Blues, The Shadow of Your Smile, Orbit, Baby Steps as a witty arrangement of John Coltrane's Giant Steps, or My Romance, Wilfer teaches his audience the meaning of silence and the space between the sounds. This album is a meditative, almost Buddhist statement from this extraordinary Austrian musician, and, focusing on his lyrical, romantic playing style, also a homage to Bill Evans, one of the most important and influential pianists of modern jazz, whom Wilfer got to know in the popular jazz club Village Vanguard in New York in 1979.

Thomas Fonnesbæk is a Danish bass player born in 1977. Fonnesbæk has made a name for himself by being featured on more than 100 recordings throughout his career. Most notably Caroline Henderson, Alex Riel and Denmark's Radio Big Band. On his new record Synethesia, he teams up with New York-based jazz pianist, composer, producer and educator, Justin Kauflin. Known as a regular Quincy Jones Artist he performs worldwide as solo artist or Justin Kauflin Trio. Synethesia will be the first time they join musical forces. Of his previous releases, critics have written: “full of surprising twists and turns and live excitement as the audience waits for the cat to land: a great album…” “[the album is] driven by dynamic flow and a high level of creativity. The scope, the swing, the harmonic insight, the elegant plasticity… are boggling.”

From the artists: "An album of instrumental Christmas music with a piano trio, is that a worthwhile idea? We asked that same question 17 years ago when we recorded In dulci jubilo in 2003. We decided it was and the result has followed us and lived with us since then. It has almost become our trademark. We have performed these songs in innumerable joyful Christmas concerts every December for our audiences. At the same time, we have tried to renew and expand the repertoire till we finally felt it was time for a sequel. So here it is. A Christmas present to ourselves and to you dear listeners. Like the last time all the music is from Sweden and the European continent."

Celebrating ten years of work, the all-star collective trio Thumbscrew celebrates by adding new instrumental hues to their already well-established sound on Multicolored Midnight, the group's seventh album! An album laden with fully realized connections and reflections, Multicolored Midnight also provides tantalizing hints regarding Thumbscrew's future explorations. Integrating new textures, sounds and concepts, Thumbscrew has turned into an essential all-terrain vehicle for three of improvised music's most venturesome artists. After a decade of coaxing and inspiring each other, the trio's musical universe just keeps expanding, and Multicolored Midnight sheds dazzling light on where they'll be heading next.

Swedish jazz pianist Emil Ingmar presents his newest release, Karlavagnen. Emil Ingmar is a pianist, composer, and freelance musician who lives in Uppsala, Sweden. A former piano student at KMH, he is the Chairman of the Uppsala Jazz Club and organizer of the Live Jazz Bar at Uplands Nation and the Jazz Corner at UKK. He is also active in Orphei Drangar as a singer and accompanist. Ingmar is joined for these twelve original tracks by an all-star lineup of musicians, including Fredrik Jonsson, Calle Rasmusson, Jonas Knutsson, and more.

Described by critics as beyond category, to use Duke Ellingtons signature compliment (All About Jazz), Japanese marimba extraordinaire Mika Stoltzman brings her wealth of experience to her latest Mikarimba album, Big Round Records Taperebá. Vibrant and bursting with flavor (just like the Brazilian fruit which the album derives its title from), the jazzy Taperebá features performances by Stoltzman and a circle of legendary fellow artists. With over 25 Grammy Awards shared between the members on this record, a memorable listening experience is practically guaranteed. Taperebá brings notable names from around the globe and a spectrum of musical experiences into one collection. Featuring the likes of Stoltzman, her husband and Grammy Award-winning clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, and a lineup including the legendary bassist Eddie Gomez, iconic percussionist Steve Gadd and his son Duke, and Brazilian mandolin great Hamilton de Holanda, the album leads audiences through a lighthearted yet technically spellbinding listening experience with just the right amount of flare. Each piece on the album was either written or arranged for Stoltzman, such as the Paul Simon classic 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, arranged by Steve Gadd (who, not to mention, played drums on the original Simon version). From this, to Return to Bahia written specifically for Stoltzman by Bill Douglas, an arrangement of Chick Coreas Spain, and more, Taperebá altogether moves listeners through a kaleidoscope of 20th and 21st-century jazz, popular music, and more. Taperebá is many things: a collection of works by legends past and present, a celebration of rich and diverse styles, and a group of friends making beautiful music together. However one connects with the music most, Taperebá is an experience not to be missed.

More than a decade ago critic C. Andrew Hovan cited Colligan “One of New York’s finest”. George Colligan has since evolved into a matured and yet adventurous artist on the world stage. This latest album showcases his new New York trio performing all Colligan originals. “His own intelligent and emotional talents create room for the best to play at their very own best…..With George Colligan at the helm, the horizon is not the limit.” (Travis Rogers - JazzTimes on “The Facts” SCCD 31752)

Like a lot of elite, Los Angeles-based studio musicians, reedman Bob Sheppard is one of those players whose sound is more familiar than his name. Even though he’s played on dozens of albums during the past 40 years, ranging from guest spots with the likes of Rod Stewart, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen to sideman gigs with Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard and Peter Erskine, The Fine Line is only his fourth album as a leader. Talk about a late bloomer. Sheppard offers the music here as someone with little to prove, and that casual confidence brings a low-key bravura to the playing. - DownBeat Editors' Pick

 

Click here to read the full review at DownBeat Magazine

 

Pianist/composer Mark Soskin has been one of the leading players on the New York jazz scene for a number of years. Although Soskin’s name still is associated with Sonny Rollins with whom he worked more than a decade in the 80s and 90s, Mark has left his own strong footprint on performing and recording front. Soskin is also a dedicated educator currently in the faculty of Manhattan School Of Music. On this his first release from SteepleChase Mark Soskin with his favorite rhythm section presents the quintessence of piano trio jazz. “Soskin combines an always melodic approach with a rich vocabulary that draws on a wide range of influences.” (Warren Allen – AAJ)

Jamey Haddad met saxophone player Billy Drewes when both were music students in Boston. Nearly 45 years later, the longtime friends have made their first recording together: a collection of nine tunes written by Drewes and performed by Under One Sun, eight musicians who represent five countries and whose ages span five decades. “As my musical journey led me from one continent to another, and as I experienced a planet crying out for understanding, this team of players cosmically came forward,” says Haddad, a longtime professor of advanced improvisation and percussion at Oberlin Conservatory. “The sheer joy of every member experiencing their bandmates’ artistry truly exemplifies the human capacity to celebrate what makes us unique.” Joining Haddad and Drewes are Michael Ward-Bergeman, Luisito Quintero, Roberto Occhipinti, Leo Blanco, Ali Paris, and Salar Nader. Also included are performances by fellow Oberlin faculty trombonists Jay Ashby and Lee Allen, Oberlin Conservatory brass students, and Hadra des Femmes de Taroudant, an all-female vocal ensemble from Morocco.

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.

“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.

On his new release 6 String Theory, Ritenour is among twenty legendary world class guitarists who guest on the recording, produced with John Burk of Concord Records. Joining him in this tribute to the guitar, the all-star line-up includes: George Benson, BB King, Slash, Steve Lukather, John Scofield, Robert Cray and Vince Gill among many other superstars. Blending rock, blues, jazz, acoustic, country and classical, they come together for a seamless project that promises to take the listener on a musical journey and exploration of the guitar.

2018 release. It's been seven years since Michael Franks has graced us with a new album, and The Music In My Head was certainly worth the wait. Produced by Gil Goldstein (Esperanza Spalding, Chris Botti, Jill Scott), Chuck Loeb (Fourplay), and others, The Music In My Head delivers the sensual warmth for which Michael Franks is famous. Highlights include the super cool "BeBop Headshop," the intimate "Bluebird Blue," the profoundly beautiful "Waterfall" and more - all written by Michael Franks and destined to join his distinguished list of classic songs.

Classically trained pianist David Janeway was introduced to jazz when his father took him to hear Oscar Peterson live. He was 14 years old. He then immersed himself in the rich tradition of jazz of Detroit where he grew up. Janeway moved to New York City in 1978 and has since been an active part of New York jazz scene. In the mid-80s he branched out his career in medical science studying psychiatry at Medical School of Michigan State University. He has been holding a dual profession in NYC. For the past several years Janeway can be heard with his current piano trio featuring Billy Hart and Cameron Brown. “Distant Voices” is a tribute to the many jazz pianists that have inspired and influenced Janeway throughout his career. “…Janeway is not afraid to experiment in the moment and has a range of technique that allows him to test the waters fearlessly. ..he is constantly evolving, and I have never heard one player have so many different ways of texturizing.” (Monique Avakian, The Patch) “A skilled composer and pianist capable of creating music that is imaginative, sensitive and often exciting.” (David Franklin - Cadence)

SteepleChase launched its sister label “LookOut” in 2012 to introduce world’s jazz artists who deserve wider recognition. The label amassed over 40 titles now. Here is #44 - veteran trombonist Peter McEachern and his quartet. McEachern bases his activities in Connecticut but tours and teaches all over USA. He released a CD in 2018 entitled “Bone Code” with his trio. This 2021 version is expanded with the addition of the young saxophone star Noah Preminger. McEachern is not only dextrous with his instrument but also a prolific composer, who penned most of the tunes on this album. “What strikes one as significant, however, is McEachern's trombone technique, which features a variety of styles played with great intimacy… While often subtle but never rambunctious, his understated technique allows the compositions to breath.” (Don Phipps – All About Jazz)

Pianist/composer Kirk Lightsey (b. 1937 in Detroit, Michigan) is a contemporary of John Coltrane, growing up with Detroit’s jazz heavy weights such as Barry Harris, Paul Chambers, Tommy Flanagan, to mention a few. After a lengthy successful career in USA performing with Chet Baker, Woody Shaw, Dexter Gordon a. o. Lightsey moved to Paris, France in the 90s. This live recording from Basel, Switzerland with his European band makes a graceful continuation of his famous tribute albums: “From Kirk To Nat” and “Goodbye Mr Evans”. “A swinging and heartfelt recording ... You can feel definitely the spirit of John Coltrane throughout and the playing is stellar and on the highest level ... this is a great band and the music is both inspired and inspiring!” - Gary Smulyan

Classical Music

Classical Music

Digitally remastered edition of this 1961 album from the Jazz pianist. Sunday at the Village Vanguard was recorded live on June 25, 1961 at the Village Vanguard in New York City over five recorded sessions (two matinee and three soiree). It is well remembered as the final performance by the Evans trio of the time, which included bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. LaFaro was killed in a car accident ten days after the recording.

Two CDs. 2020 release. Plays is a captivating, intimate double album. Showcasing his charming rapport with enthusiastic audiences in these spirited renditions, he's in good company throughout, engaging with a list of icons represents a wide swath of musical history, from the classical repertoire of Mozart and Chopin to jazz influences like Bill Evans and modern pop sensibility of Stevie Wonder. Several pieces are reprisals or spontaneously improvised.