THE LITTLEST PRISONER

Originally released in 1972, Joe Farrell's Grammy-nominated OUTBACK is re-released here.

PURE DESMOND 40TH EDITION

Wild Horses/Rock Steady (Cti Records 40T)

When Grammy Award winning musician Billy Childs was 11 years old, his older sisters introduced him to the work of Songwriters and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame singer/songwriter Laura Nyro. Her blend of Broadway-inspired melodies, jazz improvisation and socially conscious lyrics have stayed with him. Now Billy has returned to his early source of inspiration, conceiving and orchestrating his new album, MAP TO THE TREASURE: REIMAGINING LAURA NYRO. Childs is not alone in his enthusiasm for Nyro's music, an incredible range of musicians join him in interpreting her narratives. Classical soprano Renee Fleming and cellist Yo-Yo Ma add new meaning to her hometown ode, 'New York Tendaberry.' Jazz stars Esparanza Spalding and Wayne Shorter collaborate on Nyro's pictorial 'Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp,' and R&B chanteuse Ledisi updates one of Nyro's biggest hits, 'Stoned Soul Picnic.' Other prominent voices include Alison Krauss, Rickie Lee Jones, Shawn Colvin, Dianne Reeves, Susan Tedeschi, Lisa Fischer and Becca Stevens, with featured instrumental soloists Chris Botti, Jerry Douglas, Chris Potter and Steve Wilson.

Legendary jazz guitarist Bill Frisell's first release on OKeh Records, Big Sur, features all-new music commissioned by the Monterey Jazz Festival which premiered at their festival in 2012. While staying at the Glen Deven Ranch, Frisell was captivated by the beauty and grandeur of the Big Sur, California coastline which inspired him to write this transcendent new music. He is joined on the recording by the talented musicians of his Big Sur Quintet; Jenny Scheinman (violin), Eyvind Kang (viola), Hank Roberts (cello) and Rudy Royston (drums).

After his storied stint with Ray Charles and years of solo LPs on Atlantic, Hank came to Kudu in the '70s. This funk-soul-jazz delight from '75 teams his sax with Bob James, Randy Brecker and Pepper Adams among others; the title Stevie Wonder tune joins Sho Is Funky; Groovy Junction; Jana, and more!

BRIA - With a unique fusion of modern-day pop sensibility, combined with sizzling musicianship, Bria Skonberg makes a firm claim on fresh territory in the sophisticated pop landscape pioneered by Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall and Michael Bubl�. Titled Bria, her debut album on Portrait Records features standards plus five original songs. Skonberg credits producer Matt Pierson with helping her tie together the best aspects of the music she's been exploring, in a quest "to fuse my love of classic jazz with worldly rhythm, percussion, contemporary songwriting and more." Singer/Trumpeter's debut album on Masterworks/OKeh Records �New album brings a millennial flavor to a collection of standards and originals �"Poised to be one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation." - Wall Street Journal �On tour throughout 2016

Live Recording from July 7th, 1988, Karlsruhe (Germany). A Jazz evening that had everything: intimacy and exaltation, subtleties and fireworks, modernism and Old School. With his predilection for the piano trio as a central form of expression, Michel Petrucciani was out of step with the mid-eighties. He was a driven man, playing in his most active period more than one hundred concerts a year, with the feeling deep inside him that, given his illness, he had less time available than other people, a feeling which he repeatedly mentioned in talks with friends and journalists. Petrucciani wanted to condense his music, releasing energy under tension in an awaited discharge. The bassist Gary Peacock and the drummer Roy Haynes were the perfect partners. One had been socialized in post bop, sowed his wild oats in Free-Time and later, as a partner of Bill Evans, Paul Bley and Keith Jarrett among others, perfected his trio playing. The other had personally experienced the birth of bebop and was one of the busiest jazz luminaries in his field.

Guitar virtuoso Pasquale Grasso presents Be-Bop! a brilliant new tribute to be-bop pioneers Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Be-Bop! kicks off in exhilarating fashion with Dizzy’s quintessential 1942 composition, “A Night in Tunisia." Grasso achieves an astonishing balance of technical wizardry and swing, sounding like two guitarists coming out of the gate on the challenging head on top of the syncopated Latin rhythm. (Sony)

NY scene’s stalwart composer and trumpeter Dave Scott has been leading three separate groups for more than a decade. On this his 7th SteepleChase album Dave chose his quintet as an ideal vehicle for his new compositions intended to provide free improvisation for each performer to spread his wings to the fullest. Frédéic Goaty of Jazz Magazine (France) commented on Dave’s extraordinary compositional skills as: “… variées, saurprenantes, aventureuses, riches et sophistiquées les unes que les autres.”

New York-based bassist/composer Steve Millhouse’ SteepleChase debut album calls for our attention in his unique instrument: six-string Contrabass Guitar. It was pioneered by bassist Anthony Jackson in the mid-70s, who added B to EADGC of regular electric bass. Contrabass Guitar enabled Millhouse to develop his distinctive style, which perfectly encapsulates his jazz trio featuring Rich Perry on tenor. As Gary Fukushima, the author of liner-notes predicts, “This album bodes well for things to come”.

Istanbul-born with Armenian lineage pianist/composer Burak Bedikyan immigrated to USA in 2017 with his young family and has resided in NYC since. Despite the succession of highly acknowledged releases before and after his move to the new world Bedikyan’s career was forced to put on a hold because of the pandemic. He literally stopped playing for almost eight months. This release here is a by-product of commission project from Turkey’s oldest jazz festival which jolted him from his existential crisis. Here you’ll find Bedikyan in a new light and with a new direction he discovered during this soul-searching sabbatical. “Istanbul Junction is a cohesive work, and a high point of Bedikyan's superb career. As Kozlu points out in the liner notes, Bedikyan has singularly fused various traditions into a personal artistic statement. The record is, perhaps, his most mature and unique to date.” (Hrayr Attarian – AAJ on SCCD 33139 Istanbul Junction)

Shadow Forms

Guitarist/composer/educator John Hart often acknowledged for his elegantly shaded phrasing and his clear and fluid sound came to the fore on this fourth SteepleChase recording as full-fledged soloist backed by the piano trio consist of his long-time playing-mates. This is his first guitar/piano quartet in 25 years. “Guitarist John Hart, a celebrated sideman who first gained recognition for his work with Jack McDuff, has always had an attractive sound and a creative style that falls within jazz’s modern mainstream.” (Scott Yanow- Downbeat on Checkmate SCCD 31910) “Since its inception in 1972, the SteepleChase label of the Dane Nils Winther has been synonymous with exceptional (often illustrious) mainstream jazz. The place of John Hart in its roster is none too surprising. Hart is a guitar player of refinement and taste … Hart’s beautifully shaded melodies and detailed and balanced intermezzi of concise and fast cadenzas signify his matured musicianship.” (Francois -van-de-Iinde – Jazz Journal on Act Three SCCD 31885)

Versace joined the New York scene in 2002. It did not take him long to establish himself as one of the top players as organist/pianist earning three consecutive placings as a Rising Star in Down Beat Critics Poll from 2006-08 and has been one of the busiest and most versatile musicians around. “endlessly inventive...He really has an extraordinary talent.” (Marian McPartland) “All For Now (SCCD31889) makes a solid case for what an all-around inventive player he is.” (J. D. Considine- Down Beat)

Copenhagen Suite

This SteepleChase leadership debut showcases tenor saxophonist Kim Bock’s enormous talent. He has established himself in New York jazz scene since 2000 after completing his studies in Boston and Florida. Kim Bock has been featured in Maynard Ferguson’s Big Bop Nouveau Band.

SteepleChase audiophile LP Series starts the New Year 2023 with George Cables’ highly acclaimed 1997 trio recording Bluesology, his 7th album on the label. Then at age 53 he was already one of jazz’ luminaries performing and recording with Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Art Pepper, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson to mention a few. “…compelling and rewarding disc.” (Miles Jordan – JazzTimes) “…Bluesology is a distinguished Cables affair while also being just one damn good piano trio record…” (Chris Hovan – AAJ) 180g Audiophile Vinyl

Hang In There

Caravan Suite

In the past two decades saxophonist Jed Levy has been the stalwart of New York jazz scene leading his own group or performing with such luminaries as Jaki Byard, Junior Mance, Eddie Henderson, Jack Walrath, Kevin Mahogany, Tom Harrell, among other. On this his 7th SteepleChase release Jed Levy the composer takes the centre stage and presents an album-length suite with each section relating to Jed’s impression of Italy where he made numerous trips and gave concerts. “Very Impressive and about as inventive a departure from the standard tenor-and –rhythm conventions as one can hope for….a first-class session.” (The Penguin Guide to Jazz On CD Sleight Of Hand SCCD 31383)

Martin Jacobsen, Danish born tenor saxophonist came back to normalcy after a few years of combat against a rare and grave autoimmune disease. That explains the delay of release of this live recording from France. The group here including fabulous Hiroshi Murayama on piano, almost identical from his previous album from Tokyo (SCCD 31802), dazzles the audience at Eaubonne Jazz, France (near Paris). Jacobsen’s renowned book “Let’s Speak Jazz: for Saxophone” (by Schott) is soon to be published in Japan. "Jacobsen’s tenor sax rips and rolls as he pumps out the phrases, making conversation with the grammatical precision of a writer. The quotations, commas, and semi-colons of the composition are all there to be heard. His love of the instrument is visible in an ability to make complicated compositions simple, remarkable for a musician who began playing sax at the relatively late age of 18, and who is, for the most part, self-taught." (The Daily Star, UK)

Peter Zak on this his 10th album reveals his thoughts on jazz compositions by writing his own liner notes, which makes quite an interesting read as a bonus to the strong music embodied here. “…Zak’s originals have the strengths to become jazz standards themselves.” (Ken Dryden – the NYC Jazz Records on The Disciple SCCD 31791) “Pianist Peter Zak and his superb trio went into the studio to swing on Down East, and swing they did…. Zak's beautiful way with a melody comes to the forefront.” (Dan McClenaghan - AAJ on Down East SCCD 31715) “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.” (Thomas Conrad – JazzTimes on Seed Of Sin SCCD 31641)

New Horizon