The Canadians who had the good fortune to be at the Forum on February 8, 1954 caught the Duke Ellington Orchestra in a wonderfully relaxed and even playful mood. Though the concert was recorded, it languished in a private collection and was never issued-in fact, it was never even broadcast! So here it is: two hours on 2 CDs, including the Mooche; Perdido, and many more!

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)

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

Storyville Records presents Between Then and Now, a new trio album by acclaimed American pianist Christian Sands, joined by Danish bassist Thomas Fonnesbaek and Swedish drummer Rasmus Kihlberg. An international collaboration that captures contemporary jazz at the intersection of American tradition and Nordic musical sensibility. The album features 7 tracks, balancing original compositions by Sands and Fonnesbaek with inspired reinterpretations of jazz standards and classic repertoire by Bobby Timmons, Luiz Bonfa, and John Coltrane. Recorded in the spirit of Copenhagen's jazz tradition it presents jazz as both a living art form of the present and a dialogue with it's past, hence the title Between Then and Now. The collaboration grew from Sands' relationship with the Copenhagen jazz scene, initiated when former Montmartre musical director Christian Brorsen discovered him online and invited him to Denmark. Like earlier generations of American jazz musicians, including Ben Webster and Dexter Gordon, Sands quickly became a compelling presence in Copenhagen, where attentive listening and subtle interplay guide every performance. Over the years, he has been a frequent guest in Denmark and loved by the audience here. Together, the trio represents a truly international jazz language. Sands is celebrated for his virtuosic piano playing, rich harmonic imagination, and improvisational energy. Fonnesbaek, one of Europe's leading bassists, offers melodic clarity and technical brilliance shaped by the Danish jazz tradition, while Kihlberg contributes a refined rhythmic approach marked by elegance, precision and responsiveness. Together they have a compelling sound of openness yet you always feel the classic American jazz tradition in the music. This is modern American/ Scandinavian music, not just jazz. Listen to Sands' inventive arrangement of Giant Leaves, which merges John Coltrane's Giant Steps with Joseph Kosma's Autumn Leaves, served as a tribute to legendary Danish drummer Alex Riel, who influenced both Sands and generations of jazz musicians in Europe. Original compositions such as Sands' Where Children Still Play and Where the Light Settles, and Fonnesbaek's Searching in Sahara reveal the trio's lyrical and exploratory approach. The Nordic hymn Til ungdommen / To the Youth (Kringsatt av Fiender) is another beautiful example of how this trio sound together. Enjoy this contemporary recording with three of the most interesting musicians on the Scandinavian and American jazz scene right now.

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.

Tony Malaby, Jozef Dumoulin and Samuel Ber explore music made of flow, pulses, textures, angles, memory, rotations, distances, intentions, proliferations, territories, speeds, changes of scale, intervals. Their taste for playfulness pushes them to redefine the music at every moment.

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)

Experience Louis Armstrong at the height of his powers with this definitive 1959 Copenhagen concert, captured just months before his life changing heart attack. Drawn from newly restored Danish radio tapes, SCCD 36513 showcases Armstrong’s All Stars in explosive form—fiery “Tiger Rag,” soulful “Basin Street Blues,” a powerful “Black and Blue/Do You Know What It Means” medley, and joyous favorites like “Mack the Knife” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Featuring Velma Middleton, Trummy Young, Peanuts Hucko, Billy Kyle, Mort Herbert, and Danny Barcelona, this release reveals Armstrong’s unmatched stamina and emotional depth. Liner notes are by Ricky Riccardi, the Grammy winning Director of Research Collections at the Louis Armstrong House Museum and one of the world’s leading Armstrong scholars. A major archival addition to the Armstrong discography, presented with SteepleChase’s renowned audio restoration.

George Colligan’s debut album Activism returns in a newly pressed 180g LP edition (G1382), celebrating its 1996 arrival as one of the most confident first statements of its era. At just 25, Colligan emerged as one of New York’s most in demand pianists, and this trio recording captures the full force of that promise. Joined by bassist Dwayne Burno and drummer Ralph Peterson, he approaches works by Wayne Shorter, Duke Pearson, Horace Silver, Thelonious Monk, Fats Waller, and Freddie Hubbard with the assurance of a seasoned bandleader. Critics immediately recognized the album’s vitality—its positive, vigorous, and resourceful spirit—and The Washington Post praised Colligan’s commanding touch and fearless conception. Nearly three decades later, Activism stands as a remarkable debut from a musician whose artistic voice arrived fully formed. “....this album is all about a remarkable arrival of a musician whose conception epitomises Activism in the best sense - positive, vigorous, outgoing and resourceful....” (Mark Gardner)

KALI Trio's new album, The Playful Abstract, could be a soundtrack to the air we breathe. Repeated listens to this tranquil, ever-shifting and sometimes transcendent record also invoke an association with the Japanese term, Ukiyo, meaning the "floating world". Nowadays ukiyo is seen as a state of mind emphasising living in the moment, detached from the difficulties of life.

SteepleChase Records proudly presents the debut album of drummer Matt Garrity, a long-standing figure in the New York jazz scene whose artistry has matured over three decades of collaboration with legends such as Joe Lovano, Vincent Herring, and Joel Forrester. Suits And Scotches captures the essence of Garrity’s musical journey, featuring original compositions and fresh interpretations of jazz standards performed by his seasoned quartet which delivers a cohesive and swinging set that reflects both tradition and innovation. Garrity’s path diverged from the 1990s “Young Lions” wave, yet his commitment to the craft never wavered. After relocating to Woodstock, NY, (originally from Ithaca, NY) he founded Barnstock, a vibrant performance space that has become a Hudson Valley jazz hub. Encouraged by bassist Ambrosio and connected to SteepleChase producer Nils Winther, Garrity finally steps forward as a leader and composer. “Drummer Matt Garrity, always fluidly shifting from staccato fill patterns to soft accompaniments in just the way the composition seems to need.” -All Music Guide

KALI Trio's new album, The Playful Abstract, could be a soundtrack to the air we breathe. Repeated listens to this tranquil, ever-shifting and sometimes transcendent record also invoke an association with the Japanese term, Ukiyo, meaning the "floating world". Nowadays ukiyo is seen as a state of mind emphasising living in the moment, detached from the difficulties of life.

* Definitive performances of Bix Beiderbecke's five original piano pieces, plus new Hyman arrangements and improvisations on classic Beiderbecke recordings.

* A spectacular recording by seven-time Grammy nominee Keith O. Johnson, at the famed Skywalker Sound.

* Hyman was composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist for many Woody Allen films including Bullets Over Broadway and Mighty Aphrodite. Other film scores have included Moonstruck and Billy Bathgate.

"Stunning virtuosity and audio fidelity that sets an unprecedented standard for recording that most recalcitrant of instrument, the grand piano. An extraordinary pianist with great taste, in total command of a magnificent instrument, recorded with awesome presence and fidelity!" -- JazzTimes

"A once-in-a-lifetime record that does everything right. The band is hot, and the sound is front-row center, the players set up in a virtual-reality semicircle inches from your face. It is the most enveloping recording in my collection, and my numero uno desert island LP." -- Stereophile

All the compositions on this album are original works, created during a period of personal growth and artistic exploration. Each piece represents a chapter in a larger story - one that reflects not only my journey as a musician but also my evolving understanding of life, purpose, and meaning. The opening track, "Wu Wei," sets the tone. A central concept in Taoist philosophy, Wu Wei translates to "non-action" - not inaction, but effortless action, or moving with the flow of life rather than against it. As a musician, this idea resonates deeply: to be in harmony with your surroundings, to create without forcing, to live and express from a place of presence. "One" speaks to the longing for unity in a divided world. Despite conflict, disagreement, and disconnection, there is always a deeper thread that binds us together - a shared humanity that transcends our differences. "Home" represents the need for belonging, safety, and grounding. For some, home is a physical place; for others, it's something they must find or create. But for all of us, the feeling of home is essential to live a fulfilled life. "Reflections in the Water" is an introspective piece - a reminder of where we come from and who we are at our core. Influenced by classical and impressionistic traditions, it pays homage to the great composers who have shaped music history and continue to inspire me. "Seven Virtues, Seven Sins" explores the dualities of human nature - the push and pull between good and evil, right and wrong, light and shadow. It's a reflection on the moral questions we all face and the deeper quest for inner truth and balance. In "Samsara," the cyclic nature of existence is made audible: life, death, and rebirth - endlessly repeating. It reminds us that every end carries the seed of a new beginning. "Blues for Sadako" is a tribute to Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who became a symbol of peace after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. Her story, and the thousands of paper cranes she folded, speak of hope, remembrance, and the resilience of the human spirit. This piece is dedicated to her and to all victims of war. The final track, "Healing," is a hymn for humanity. In times of pain and turmoil, sometimes what the world needs most is a moment of collective healing - a return to compassion, empathy, and wholeness. Throughout this album, I've tried to express something honest - something that reflects the complexity of being alive. We live in a world full of goals, distractions, and expectations. Often, we chase success or run from discomfort, forgetting to be present in the moment. But life is not a race to the finish line. It is a process of becoming, of unfolding - just like a flower grows, slowly and naturally, in it's own time. You cannot force growth. You cannot force mastery. The moment you think you've arrived, life will humble you. There is no final destination - only the ongoing path. Obstacles will come. Resistance will arise. But perhaps the key is not to fight or flee, but to accept - to let go, and to allow life to unfold. This is the essence of Wu Wei. To move in harmony with the world, to follow your inner voice, to grow in all directions like a tree, to live fully in the present - this is not just a philosophy, but a way of life. This album is an invitation to listen - not just to the music, but to yourself. - Aseo Friesacher

Anthony Ferrara’s fourth SteepleChase release, Straight Into The Sun Vision, marks a striking new chapter for the rising tenor saxophonist. After three acclaimed albums: SCCD 31920 Early Spring, SCCD 31932 Cold Faded and SCCD 31975 Factory Fresh with his “dream team” veteran rhythm section, Ferrara now leads a working quartet of peers whose shared history brings a fresh cohesion to his music. In a familiar group of contemporaries the performances took to a newly open personal level of expression. Ferrara’s original compositions range from high velocity, odd meter burners to lyrical, atmospheric pieces, all unified by his distinctive voice and narrative improvising. Two vocal features reveal yet another facet of his artistry, including the reflective title track penned by Ferrara. Straight Into The Sun Vision captures a rapidly maturing artist stepping fully into his sound—bold, inventive, and unmistakably his own. “What is particularly impressive about Ferrara is that he not only has a mature, confident and appealing sound, but also is finding his own voice. Ferrara is also a capable composer, penning a diverse set of songs that invite repeated hearings, a huge challenge for any musician at the beginning of their career.” (Ken Dryden – NYCJR on SCCD 31938 Cold Faded)

Now focusing on original compositions (along with some Indian chants and a piece by Claude Debussy), this album also distinguishes itself from the previous two albums by presenting a new sonic landscape.  Blending the rich timbres and textures of both the acoustic and electric sonic worlds of the musicians, we were looking to get a strong, direct, full sound that still retains enough detail and acoustic warmth.