2018 release. Having just completed a solo acoustic guitar record (Alleviation), Mikkel Ploug very much had a sound in his head for a meeting of his vintage Gibson Banner acoustic guitar and Mark Turner's saxophone sound (though he plays electric on half of the record), and he wrote a number of pieces while playing the guitar and singing what would become Turner's parts. Each piece was written or adapted to Turner's strengths and this becomes evident as the distinction between written and improvised music becomes blurred.
“… Mark Turner, Don Braden and Jimmy Greene offer thoughtful and distinctive collaboration as they negotiate a bunch of great jazz originals, standard ballads and a couple of organic pieces from within this ‘band for a day’… ” (Mark Gardner)
On Jam Session Vol 6, Chris Parker of CD Reviews commented, “… this lively, vigorous album is as much a tribute to the liberating effect of the jam session itself as to the talent and commitment of its participants.”
Two veterans of bop, trumpeter Louis Smith and saxophonist Billy Mitchell joined by the young lion Mark Turner make the 7th volume of “this essential documentation of jazz” an inspired recital. For Billy Mitchell this was his last recording session. “Billy Mitchell was a dignified hero right to the end, and his playing here will stand as a fitting memorial to his resilient talent.” (Mark Gardner).
JazzReview’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.”
This 4th volume of the Jam Session series presents six musicians at the start of their career.
Since the time of the recording took in 1997 all six have made major advancements in their career and build a name for themselves in the jazz world with recordings and performances with major jazz artists and in their own names.
