For his debut leader project on SteepleChase, Bollenback chose a bold and distinct approach, opting for a guitar and bass duo format. Teaming up with bassist Boris Kozlov, a three-time Grammy winner. Bollenback explores new musical territories with a mix of original compositions by Bollenback and Kozlov, along with jazz standards that highlight their exceptional musical connection and rhythmic synergy. Renowned for his versatility and dynamism on the guitar, Bollenback's unique approach to jazz and blues has earned him accolades from legends like George Benson, who praised him as a "versatile dynamo on guitar." Over the years, Bollenback has collaborated with numerous jazz greats, including organist Joey DeFrancesco, appearing on nineteen of his albums and earning a Grammy nomination for co-producing 2011's Never Can Say Goodbye.

Originally released in 1979 and reissued on CD in 1996 with bonus material, G1128 stands as a vibrant snapshot of two masterful trumpeters—John McNeil and Tom Harrell—at a pivotal moment in modern jazz. Now, for the first time, this landmark session returns in stunning 24bit/96kHz remastered fidelity on heavyweight 180g vinyl, preserving the warmth and swing of the original analog tapes. Backed by a stellar rhythm section featuring Kenny Barron (piano), Buster Williams (bass), and Billy Hart (drums), McNeil and Harrell engage in a spirited, lyrical dialogue that’s as respectful of tradition as it is forward-looking. Their interplay is marked by mutual admiration rather than rivalry—Harrell’s bright, unflappable tone contrasts beautifully with McNeil’s introspective, saxophone-inspired phrasing. For audiophiles, collectors, and jazz devotees alike, this is not just a reissue—it’s a rediscovery. “...it’s never a duel of trumpets here but it’s the duet of trumpets... When the two trumpeters share technique and inspiration, one cannot but enjoy the inevitable result...” (Alain Tercinet, JAZZ HOT).

Guitarist John Hart returns to the classic guitar-bass-drums trio format for his seventh SteepleChase release. After several adventurous outings, New Mantra marks a melodic homecoming, reuniting Hart with longtime collaborators Bill Moring and Tim Horner. Known for his lyrical phrasing and harmonic depth, Hart emphasizes melody and clarity, crafting originals like “Think” and “Abyss” alongside fresh takes on standards such as “Stella by Starlight” and “Some Other Time.” With over 100 sideman credits and decades of leadership, Hart continues to shape modern jazz guitar — blending tradition, intellect, and soul in every note. “Resonance resonates…and how. Mucho bravos to John Hart and his bandmates for providing jazz guitar fans with a refreshing and inspired offering which exhibits the time-honoured legacy of the instrument.” (UK JazzNews on SCCD 31948 Resonance)

Renowned Russian jazz pianist Ivan Farmakovskiy makes his highly anticipated debut on SteepleChase Records with a stunning new album. Blending his signature hard-bop style with modern jazz sensibilities, Farmakovskiy delivers a masterful performance that bridges tradition and innovation with American rhythm section of Christian McBride and Jack DeJohnette. Ivan won the 1994 bi-annual Russia Jazz Competition, the biggest contest for young Russian performers and he won another prize at the 1997 Europe Jazz Contest in Belgium.

Horace Parlan’s Glad I Found You is his second quintet date for SteepleChase which captures a rare meeting of inspired musicians at a peak moment, recorded in Copenhagen with Thad Jones — making a vibrant late career comeback — and the always inventive Eddie Harris. Parlan leads the quintet full of warmth, swing and spontaneous interplay. The album blends Parlan’s own tunes, soulful obscurities, and modern jazz classics like “Afternoon in Paris,” all delivered with the rhythmic looseness and deep blues feeling that defined his style. This new 24bit/96kHz remaster brings fresh clarity to one of Parlan’s most spirited SteepleChase sessions, revealing the nuance and energy of a group of masters enjoying every moment together. “...it’s another fine addition to Parlan’s discography.” (Jazz Journal)

John McNeil (March 23, 1948 – September 27, 2024) launched his professional career with debut LP "Embarkation” SCS 1099) on SteepleChase in 1978 a few hours before he turned 30. Age 30 was his goal to release his first and he remarked “I just made it!” John McNeil’s There Is No Greater Love (SCCD 34007) unveils a previously unheard 1983 Odense, Denmark session, capturing the trumpeter at a creative peak during his extensive Scandinavian tour. Joined by Danish masters Jesper Lundgaard (bass) and Aage Tanggaard (drums), McNeil delivers a warm, incisive set blending standards, bebop classics, and his own “Out”. His bright, agile phrasing — long praised for its roots in Miles, Hubbard, and the Parker lineage—meets a deeply swinging Nordic rhythm team. This newly discovered trio date highlights McNeil’s lyrical clarity, spontaneous invention, and enduring place in the modern jazz tradition.

After two years of solo touring, Yaron Herman presents his new album Radio Paradise. He returns with an exceptional ensemble, joining forces with two of the finest saxophonists in the world: Maria Grand, a rising international star, and Alexandra Grimal, a major figure in improvised music. This album takes us on a quest for lyricism, depth and sincerity, with elegant melodies and powerful rhythms, in a project that is both spiritual and deeply moving. "When I started working on this album, the first thing that came to my mind was melody. I have been writing a lot over the last few years, mostly in my notebooks, for myself. On the road or at home, anything from long lines to short fragments. With time, (and hard work) these "motifs" started to take shape and turn into "songs". While playing them, exploring what they could become, I realized I was looking for a sound that wasn't "just» the piano. These melodies required another voice. Saxophonists Maria Grand and Alexandra Grimal have different approaches, yet both have a mysterious, powerful and lyrical quality that I was looking for. Those qualities, combined with Haggai Cohen Milo's beautiful tone and rhythmic versatility and the playing and precious ideas throughout the Process of my longtime musical brother, Ziv Ravitz, made these songs truly come to life. In the studio we were fortunate to have the experience and perspective of producer Daniel Yvinec who encouraged us to push the music further, taking risks. I imagined each composition as a different scenario, a landscape offering a fertile ground from which improvisation could grow. Improvisation: a quest for the sweet spot between freedom and constraint. The playfulness of it all. Providing the tools but not the final edifice, providing the canvas but not dictating what to paint on it. That's how Radio Paradise happened. We stumbled upon the title in the studio, while discussing how opposites complete each other, and how our role as artists is to try and reconcile that which seems in opposition. To find the space where music flows effortlessly, and from the heart." YARON HERMAN

Eternal Child, Avishai Cohen's new album, will be released in May and showcases the full depth of his artistry as a bassist and composer. Years later, he reunites with drummer Jeff Ballard on selected tracks, recalling their strong musical connection forged alongside Chick Corea. Recorded at the renowned Studio de Meudon in Paris, Eternal Child stands as a major new chapter in Cohen's work.

On Daydreaming, Italian saxophonist and composer Carla Marciano transforms memory, grief and love into an intensely personal musical journey. Dedicated to her father Giovanni, the album reflects the profound bond between father and daughter and the lifelong passion for music he inspired in her. Marciano's compositions move between intimate reflection, lyrical beauty and powerful improvisation. Her alto and sopranino saxophones are joined by her long-standing quartet (Alessandro La Corte, Aldo Vigorito and Gaetano Fasano with Dario Deidda appearing on acoustic bass). Several pieces are further enriched by the Philharmonic Orchestra of the 'Giuseppe Verdi' Theater in Salerno, conducted by Antonio Sinagra. Created during a period marked by the loss of both parents and Marciano's recovery from a serious road accident, Daydreaming is also a testimony to resilience and renewal. The music evokes childhood memories, shared songs, imagined embraces and the enduring presence of loved ones. It is an album about absence, but above all about gratitude, courage and a love that continues beyond time.

Three years ago, Careless Territories was an invitation to travel. It reflected a musical curiosity that willingly wandered across styles, moods and influences, allowing each composition to find it's own destination. Looking back, I realize that album was less about defining a musical identity than about embracing the freedom of discovering one. Straight Down the Middle was born from an almost opposite intention. Rather than broadening the horizon, I felt the desire to narrow the focus. This record is the result of a conscious decision to immerse myself in one musical language that has fascinated me for years: the modern post-bop tradition. It is a repertoire, an aesthetic and a way of thinking that continue to inspire me, yet one that remains relatively uncommon on the European jazz scene. Instead of searching for variety, I wanted to explore the richness that comes from commitment to write music that lives unapologetically within this tradition while allowing my own voice to emerge naturally. With the exception of Every Single Time, which briefly steps outside the frame, every composition on this album embraces that artistic trajectory. Hence the title: Straight Down the Middle. More than anything, this album is a tribute to the composers, improvisers and recordings that have shaped my musical imagination over the years, but also to Phil Abraham, Amaury Faye, Clement Daldosso and Raphael Pannier, whose generosity, trust and musicality brought these compositions vividly to life. If this record conveys anything, I hope it is the simple pleasure of five musicians sharing a language they deeply love, while adding, with humility, one more conversation to a tradition that continues to evolve.

On Daydreaming, Italian saxophonist and composer Carla Marciano transforms memory, grief and love into an intensely personal musical journey. Dedicated to her father Giovanni, the album reflects the profound bond between father and daughter and the lifelong passion for music he inspired in her. Marciano's compositions move between intimate reflection, lyrical beauty and powerful improvisation. Her alto and sopranino saxophones are joined by her long-standing quartet (Alessandro La Corte, Aldo Vigorito and Gaetano Fasano with Dario Deidda appearing on acoustic bass). Several pieces are further enriched by the Philharmonic Orchestra of the 'Giuseppe Verdi' Theater in Salerno, conducted by Antonio Sinagra. Created during a period marked by the loss of both parents and Marciano's recovery from a serious road accident, Daydreaming is also a testimony to resilience and renewal. The music evokes childhood memories, shared songs, imagined embraces and the enduring presence of loved ones. It is an album about absence, but above all about gratitude, courage and a love that continues beyond time.

After an artistic hiatus, Jeff Herr Corporation returns with Five Moons, a bold new chapter for the Luxembourg-based trio. Led by drummer, composer, programmer and sound designer Jeff Herr, the group's renewed line-up features Maxime Bender on tenor and soprano saxophone and Pol Belardi on electric bass and double bass. With Five Moons, the trio moves into a more modern, daring sound world, blending contemporary jazz, improvisation, electronic textures and driving grooves. The acoustic dynamic of the previous formation gives way to a powerful new identity: lyrical saxophone lines, deep bass foundations and organic, energetic drumming come together in music that is both subtle and forceful. The repertoire was written and developed during an artistic residency at the Abbaye de Neumünster between December 2024 and April 2025, as part of the band's search for a new sound integrating electronic elements. Recorded in December 2025 and January 2026 at Holtz Sound in Tuntange, Luxembourg, Five Moons captures a trio in full creative motion, where innovation, spontaneity and intense musical interaction shape every performance.

Baritone saxophonists Gary Smulyan and Frank Basile reunite their powerhouse quintet for You Are The One, a vibrant follow up to Boss Baritones (SCCD 31963) that again showcases the rare chemistry between two masters of the instrument. Drawing on a mix of classic repertoire - Thad Jones, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie - and newly minted originals by both leaders, the album highlights the duo's deep command of bebop language, contrapuntal writing, and the propulsive blend only two baritones can create. Smulyan's witty muscular swing pair beautifully with Basile's lyrical clarity, while pianist Steve Ash, bassist Mike Karn, and drummer Aaron Seeber provide a responsive, hard driving foundation. You Are The One is a spirited, straight-ahead session that celebrates tradition with unmistakable joy. 'Boss Baritones is a fine example of how jazz praxes originating in the mid-to-late 20th century can-in the right hands-sound fresh and invigorating in the present day.' (David A. Orthmann - All About Jazz on SCCD 31963)

Drummer composer Steve Johns returns to SteepleChase with Extrasensory, his most fully realized statement since his acclaimed 2024 release Mythology (SCCD 31971). Reuniting the same core ensemble - guitarist John Hart, vibraphonist/harmonica player Monte Croft, pianist Greg Murphy, and bassist Joris Teepe - Johns builds on the band's deepening chemistry, now sharpened by the fiery presence of saxophonist Troy Roberts on select tracks. The program highlights Johns' dual gifts: modern, structurally inventive writing and dynamic, deeply musical drumming shaped by decades on the New York scene. Contrafacts, reharmonized standards, soulful vocals, and vibrant originals form a wide stylistic arc, from angular modern swing to luminous ballads and earthy shuffles. Throughout, Johns shapes textures and grooves with masterful clarity, guiding a group whose intuitive interplay truly earns the album's title. Extrasensory affirms Johns as a drummer leader of imagination and unmistakable voice. 'Mythology' is an album full of imagination, stories and some fantastic playing by this amazing lineup of world-class musicians.' (A Green Review on SCCD 31971)

Tenor saxophonist Matt Garcia makes a compelling SteepleChase debut with Three's Up, revealing a mature voice shaped by deep study, hard work, and a fast rising presence on the New York scene. A Texas native now at Juilliard, Garcia brings a blend of tradition with modern clarity that reflects his years in NYO Jazz (Carnegie Hall's National Youth Orchestra), his award winning early career, and formative mentorship from artists such as Dave Pietro and Christian McBride. Joined by bassist Martin Wind and drummer Billy Drummond, he leads a vibrant trio through standards, bebop classics, and five originals that highlight his melodic focus and rhythmic drive. Pieces like 'White Silence' and 'Dance's Dance' showcase a young composer with a clear artistic identity. Three's Up introduces a tenor saxophonist whose expressive depth mark him as a significant new voice to watch.

With Traces of Light, saxophonist and composer Jan Prax presents a deeply expressive and spiritually charged new album. Known as one of Europe's most distinctive saxophonists and a protege of David Sanborn, Prax draws from jazz tradition, improvisation, and a broad musical imagination to create a sound that is vibrant, soulful, and unmistakably his own. Joined by Carl-Henri Morisset on piano, Riccardo Del Fra on double bass, and Zhitong Xu on drums, Prax leads a quartet built on trust, intuition, and shared musical purpose. Across nine original compositions, the album moves through tension, stillness, searching energy, and lyrical release. From the opening lift of 'Elevation' and the smouldering intensity of 'Cold Flame' to the reflective beauty of 'Hope in Bloom,' 'Reverie,' and the title track, the music breathes, expands, and glows with emotional clarity. At it's heart, Traces of Light is an album about connection, compassion, and presence. It is music shaped by fire and finesse, but also by openness and vulnerability and a journey toward light, shared by kindred spirits.

A halo is something like an aura. Cologne-based singer Anette Von Eichel certainly doesn't want to put a halo on her new album, but a halo is also a luminous phenomenon, such as a moonlit ring or a wreath of light, as often seen in nature and everyday life, and which can be interpreted as a revelation of whatever nature. This title couldn't be more fitting for Anette Von Eichel's collection of songs on her new album, and in more ways than one. All of these songs share a nocturnal quality, in which light emerges from the darkness. In the sequence of her songs, we experience a dreamlike journey of a resurrection of the morning twilight from the night.   In a metaphorical sense, it makes a huge difference whether you listen to the album for the first, second, or third time, because an impressive process of transcendence takes place. What at first simply sounds like a series of clearly defined songs in their respective forms gradually transforms into a kind of vocal and musical mass of light, which acts as a parallel phenomenon to reality. This spectral shift culminates in a halo of light that dissolves all forms and contours, a concept perfectly captured by the album title. "When I write a song, it's a conscious process, but the subconscious naturally plays a major role," Anette Von Eichel explains, describing this transformation from her perspective. "With this album in particular, I hope to give people the opportunity to take a step back from their everyday lives and experience a similar transformation while listening."   Listening to the album, regardless of the lyrics, inevitably evokes the feeling that someone is telling a story. From the osmosis of voice and music emerges a flow that inescapably draws the ear into it's vortex. Pianist Sebastian Sternal, bassist Henning Sieverts, and drummer Jonas Burgwinkel become the material and metaphysical vehicles of these stories, which Anette Von Eichel brings to the stage of her song theater with breathtaking versatility. She starts with the lyrics when writing and tries to discover the sound hidden behind the words. "The word enters into a symbiosis with the interaction of our band," the composer explains, describing this phenomenon of the text dissolving into sound. The songs possess a great flexibility, expressed through nuanced improvisation, which allows the songs to grow not only with each performance but, as already mentioned, with each listen.   "Halo" is the third album Anette Von Eichel has recorded with Sternal, Sieverts, and Burgwinkel in six years. The ease of their interplay, the constant negotiation between collective density and individual detachment, and the spontaneous use of open sections reach a new peak here. Eichel's signature style, unmistakable in it's trinity of classic jazz vocals a la Carmen McRae and Betty Carter, singer-songwriter influences in the tradition of Joni Mitchell, and the timbre of French chansons, sounds like standards that have been in the air for decades. They may feature strong melodies and complex rhythms, but the song as a whole always takes center stage, with which the individual elements must harmonize.   There aren't many singers whose voices, both spoken and sung, exhibit such a striking difference as Anette Von Eichel's. When she sings, she doesn't simply slip into a different persona; she confronts hidden inner worlds that couldn't manifest in her everyday use of her voice. This creates an immediate magic, where the sound of her voice is inextricably linked to the specific emotions of the song. "I'm interested in drawing out all the emotions hidden within my voice," says Anette Von Eichel. "When I sing, I delve much deeper into myself and can uncover far more nuances." Which brings us back to the interplay of light and shadow. She slips into roles, often shifting perspectives even within a single song, employing unconventional vocal techniques like sighs or creaks, and using breath as a creative element.   "Halo" is built from light, and yet this album, like few others, creates a pressure equalization that is transmitted from the four musicians to the listener in an almost hypnotic way. The more one embarks on this journey into the twilight and the nuances of human experience, the more liberating the effect. "Halo" is a passionate declaration of the poetic clarity of ambiguity. Let us refrain at this point from pathos-laden phrases like healing, spirituality, or the pulse of life, and instead take the album objectively and soberly for what it is: precisely the right statement for our time. by Wolf Kampmann

With their neww album Tolstoy, Too Noisy Fish, the trio of Peter Vandenberghe (piano, compositions), Kristof Roseeuw, and Teun Verbruggen, opens a new chapter full of freedom and adventure. The moves effortlessly between composition and improvisation, between order and chaos, between what is planned and what emerges in the moment. Too Noisy Fish first made it's mark in the Belgian jazz landscape in 2011, when the rhythm section of the Flat Earth Society Orchestra decided to start pushing boundaries as a trio too. They created four albums, including 'Too Many Fish: 10 Years Too Noisy Fish', a record celebrating the ten year anniversary of the trio by inviting musician and artist friends to join them in the studio and on stage. With their upcoming album, they are once again establishing themselves as a singular trio. The band shows how music can be at once profound and light, sharp and open-hearted, fully in line with the seeming contradictions that are rife in Tolstoy's work. Each piece is a journey, unpredictable, honest, and full of twists, with freedom and adventure as the compass, and no fixed destination. The compositions breathe literature: melodies unfold like sentences, rhythms collide like characters, harmonies pose questions rather than giving answers. Too Noisy Fish remains true to it's distinctive sound world: incisive, playful, unsettling, yet always imbued with deep human warmth. On Tolstoy, the music moves freely through space, silence, humor, and melancholy. An album about the lust for life, choices, and the endless search for meaning; in sound, in silence, in freedom.

Vice Versa was created out of the need of Belgian pianist Bram de Looze's (LABtrio, Joey Baron, Thomas Morgan, Hank Roberts) to collaborate with artists who he feels are natural extensions to his sound. He quickly found kindred spirits in New York master drummer Eric McPherson (Jackie McLean, Andrew Hill, Pharoah Sanders, Fred Hersch) and Berlin bassist Felix Henkelhausen (Jim Black, Nate Wooley, Lotte Anker), two compositional masterminds with a boundless sense of rhythmic inventiveness. The versatile and exploratory trio sets the bar for expressive interpretation and inventive creativity high. They traverse different approaches in which musical rules change without losing momentum. This leads to an interesting musical synthesis where the spirit of traditional jazz language emerges during intuitive musical excursions within free improvisation and contemporary music. Their debut album 'Vice Versa' came out in 2023 on Dox Records to great acclaim. In January of 2025, while Bram de Looze was the Artist in Residence at Brussels Jazz Festival in Flagey, they recorded their second album live on stage, witnessed by a sold out Studio 1. This album will be released by Challenge Records (NL) in February of 2026.

Vice Versa was created out of the need of Belgian pianist Bram de Looze (LABtrio, Joey Baron, Thomas Morgan, Hank Roberts) to collaborate with artists who he feels are natural extensions to his sound. He quickly found kindred spirits in New York master drummer Eric McPherson (Jackie McLean, Andrew Hill, Pharoah Sanders, Fred Hersch) and Berlin bassist Felix Henkelhausen (Jim Black, Nate Wooley, Lotte Anker), two compositional masterminds with a boundless sense of rhythmic inventiveness. The versatile and exploratory trio sets the bar for expressive interpretation and inventive creativity high. They traverse different approaches in which musical rules change without losing momentum. This leads to an interesting musical synthesis where the spirit of traditional jazz language emerges during intuitive musical excursions within free improvisation and contemporary music. Their debut album Vice Versa came out in 2023 on Dox Records to great acclaim. In January of 2025, while Bram de Looze was the Artist in Residence at Brussels Jazz Festival in Flagey, they recorded their second album live on stage, witnessed by a sold-out Studio 1. This album will be released by Challenge Records (NL) in February of 2026.

The two-time winner of Grammy Awards, alto saxophonist Gary Bartz (b. Baltimore, Sept. 26, 1940) studied music at the Julliard School in New York. He then worked with many prominent players like Max Roach, Art Blakey, Blue Mitchell, McCoy Tyner in the 60s. His international fame came when he joined Miles Davis in the early 70s. He made his SteepleChase recording debut with Jackie McLean in 1973 (“Ode To Super” SCCD 31009). 15 years later he went into a studio in Copenhagen with the band he was touring with in Europe (except Butch Lacy replacing Joanne Brackeen on piano) to make this second album for SteepleChase. Bartz received the BNY Mellon Jazz 2015 Living Legacy Award. He is Professor of Jazz Saxophone at Oberlin College. “…one of the best of Bartz’ recent releases, while it emphasizes leader’s powerful playing, the well-balanced ensemble performances are quite enticing.” (Sato – Swing Journal on SCS 1234)

Markus Burger: It has been a joy to work with such an extraordinary ensemble-my long-time duo partner, Jan von Klewitz, and the legendary rhythm section of Peter Erskine and Bob Magnusson. Together, we've created music that reflects the landscapes, people, and moments that have shaped me. This album was recorded after a memorable tour through Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, and those breathtaking regions undoubtedly influenced the music.

Celebrating its legacy from the 1976 LP and 1990 CD release, Stable Mable returns in May 2026 as a newly remastered 180g audiophile edition (G1040). Captured in Copenhagen just weeks after Dexter Gordon’s ambitious orchestral project SCCD 31030 More Than You Know, this session strips the setting back to its purest form: a no frills blowing date where Gordon’s imagination, authority, and melodic wit shine without disguise. Joined by Horace Parlan, Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and Tony Inzalaco, Gordon navigates standards like Just Friends, Misty, Red Cross, and So What with a mix of relaxed confidence and fiery invention. His soprano reading of In a Sentimental Mood adds a rare, reflective touch. Remastered from the original tapes, this edition highlights the quartet’s clarity, swing, and interplay—an essential snapshot of Gordon’s Copenhagen years and a definitive statement of his enduring mastery. “...Dexter plays brilliantly on every track ...beautifully recorded..”(Jazz Journal 1976)

New York’s ace trumpeter Joe “Mags” Magnarelli’s third outing on SteepleChase is condensed to a quartet format with trumpet as the sole frontline giving the leader new dimension and depth to define his voice. His previous release (SCCD 31939 New York-Osaka Junction) received enthused remarks “…he is particularly outstanding, demonstrating a brilliant clarity that could be called the height of sophistication.” (Catfish-Records, Japan) and “Magnarelli has always been a jazzman-of-all-work, good in small groups like this one and great at starring in big bands and he's on fire here” (JazzWise-Peter Vacher UK)

RVB Quartet They bring a mix between rock and jazz which results in a refreshing sound. Interaction, improvisation and groove are the main ingredients that ensure vibrant compositions and crisp live performances. Hamabiwa The quartet feels like kings when they can play like children and let loose on their instruments. Hazel, Bibi, Marius (the little one) and Walt are the inspiration for this album.