Doug Raney (Aug. 29, 1956 – May 1, 2016) moved to Copenhagen, Denmark from New York when he was 21 after a European tour with his famous guitarist father Jimmy Raney. Doug spent the rest of his rather short life in Copenhagen. He collaboration with SteepleChase started shortly after his move to Denmark in 1977 with the debut album “Introducing Doug Raney” (SCCD 31082/SCS 1082). Since then he released 17 highly acclaimed leader album during the 80s and 90s. This album recorded in 1984 finds Raney in a comfortable company of his regular Danish rhythm section. “Blue And White is probably the best of (Raney’s early releases in the 80’s – ed) them, dominated by titanic performances of Jimmy Heath’s ‘Gingerbread Boy’ and Coltrane’s ‘Straight Street’…” (Richard Cook & Brian Morton – The Penguin Guide to Jazz) “Players of Doug Raney’s depth and talent don’t come along very often, making their absence, when their end does come, something almost tactile….” (Larry Grinnel)

GALAKONZERT AUS PRAG

VIOLINKONZERT SYMPHONIEN

In the summer of 1989 when this album was recorded in sweltering heat of NYC pianist/composer Jim McNeely at the age of 40 had already had an impressive track record of performing with prominent players such as Stan Getz, Bob Brookmeyer, Dave Liebman, the Thad Jones/Mel Louis Orchestra, among others. McNeely, now a celebrated veteran himself, has earned ten nominations of the Grammy Awards and worked as conductor/composer/soloist-in-residence with a handful of radio orchestras of European major cities including Copenhagen, Frankfurt, etc., besides leading his own group. “This must be one of the finest piano trio albums I’ve heard, well, since the last by Jim McNeely… His musical sensitivity and sophistication make this album a constant joy.” (Any Hamilton – Wire UK on Winds Of Change)

This is the first leader album of Joe Locke (b. March 18, 1959 in Palo Alto, California) on SteepleChase. “He has a solid background in the modern-mainstream tradition…An interesting album by a musician from whom I am sure we will hear more.” (Mike Shera – Jazz Journal International) “Joe Locke is a new star on jazz vibraphone scene, who deserves even wider recognition now. This album has a excellent ensemble feel to offer solid performance throughout. Locke’s vibraphone has fresh musicality.” (Sato – Swing Journal)

LIEDER NACH GEDICHTEN VON EICH

Pianist Joe Bonner (1948 – 2014) was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina where Thelonious Monk was born about three decades earlier and left strong influence on the young pianist. An impressive modernist Joe Bonner performed in and around Denver, Colorado towards the end of his life and became a legendary figure. He spent considerable time in Denmark during the 80s. This album from Copenhagen in March 1987 is a studio recording with another American expatriate Bob Rockwell on tenor. "...The Lost Melody is a good group session, marked by strong charts ...." (The Penguin Guide to JAZZ) "... one cannot but admire the fluency and precision, the dexterous right hand...the diversity in his play is a mark of a great pianist..." (Jean-Paul Ricard, Diapason)

1978 was one of Duke Jordan’s most productive and artistically most fulfilling years. Jordan’s trio with Wilbur Little (bass) and Dannie Richmond (drums) made an extensive European tour that year. This is one of the live recordings from concerts at the Tivoli Gardens. “…The old bopper, Duke Jordan, is another pianist who is perhaps under-appreciated … this man could play and he still can. On Wait And See for SteepleChase, we have the quintessential version of Jordan’s classic along with a lot of fine, not-at-all dated bop lines by the pianist…” (Durham Morning Herald)

Ernie Wilkins (1919 – 1999) made phenomenal contribution to the big band music in the last five decades by composing and arranging for such major big bands as those led by Earl Hines, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James and Clark Terry. Wilkins moved to Copenhagen in 1979 and in 1980 launched his own Almost Big Band which consists of top musicians from Europe and USA. ...Under leadership of Ernie Wilkins music never becomes a mere parade of soloists. He builds up a piece and gives it a form of unity. ...Listeners will keep finding fresh surprises....” (Albrekt von Konow, Orkester Journalen)

Teddy Edwards (April 26, 1924 – April 20, 2003) was born in Jackson, MS. He started to play alto sax as a child and later changed to tenor when he was invited to join Howard McGhee’s group in the late 1940s. Since 1945 he has been living in Los Angeles, where he has played and recorded with the bands led by Benny Carter and Gerald Wilson. Edwards is also known for his scores for TV and radio. Edwards toured in Europe frequently in the 70’s and 80’s. This recording was made late 1980 for SteepleChase. Although the pianist Kenny Drew and Edwards have long known each other, this is the only recording the two friends made together. “Edwards is a wonderful and distinctive tenor player, with a smooth tone in the middle and lower register, a bit brassier in the upper, and a great sense of swing. His work is replete with melodic ideas, a gestural sense of variation in dynamics, and a lot of freedom with the beat — here relaxed and behind, there right on top of it or a little ahead.” (Larry Koenigsberg – AAJ) “His sole SteepleChase outing found Teddy in his prime and in excellent company. The outcome was among his finest quartet sets - no hokum but simply pure jazz all the way.” (Mark Gardner)

Here’s the sequel to SCS 1222 “Nuage” recorded a day after (May 25, 1986) at The Slukefter in Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen. American drummer Ed Thigpen joined the group. Boulou Ferré (b. April 24, 1951 in Paris, France) is one of the greatest French contemporary virtuoso jazz guitarists of the manouche (gypsy jazz) tradition. He was awarded “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Cultural Ministry in 2012. Together with his younger brother Elios Ferré, also a jazz guitarist, Boulou recorded seven albums for SteepleChase. " ... the music sparkles from the word 'go' with Parker's Confirmation...Well recorded and musically very impressive, Try and hear it." (David Lands, Jazz Journal International)

“Frozen Music” was recorded in New York City 32 years ago and like most of Andy LaVerne’s releases this album has not lost its original energy and charm. Tenor and soprano saxophonist Rick Margitza was then a young rising star under contract with Blue Note. Andy was already a prolific composer who penned all the tunes of this album. Bassist Marc Johnson who was a member of Bill Evans’s last trio gave graceful and subtle coloring to LaVerne’s compositions. “Frozen Music, Andy LaVerne’s third album for SteepleChase, is a solid, modern blowing session...he makes skilful use of suspensions, pedal points, and ostinatos, which along with the music’s floating harmonies, give the soloists a wealth of elbow room...” (Mark Stryker, Cadence) “un disque du plus haut niveau musical.” (Henri Marchal – Spectacles)

Duke Jordan (1922-2006) famous for his intense lyricism embarked on the world jazz scene as a member of the classic Charlie Parker Quintet in the late 40s with his trademark introduction to “Embraceable You”. Jordan unlike many other American jazz musicians in Bebop era found his artistic and personal living space in Europe since the early 70s. His extensive recording output on SteepleChase including this album from 1985 recorded in Denmark makes up the huge part of his discography. “A most agreeable set that is both eminently listenable and very enterprising .… Jordan was always a fleetly swinging but subtle pianist whose all-round musicianship has never got the recognition it merits. This fine trio deserves to sell well and spared his name further afield.” (Richard Palmer, Jazz Journal International)

Trumpeter Bill Hardman (1933–1990) was a long-time front-line Jazz Messenger. This New York session from the summer of 1989 became Hardman’s last recording. Bill Hardman was one of the leading trumpeters in the hard bop era of 50s playing with Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Charles Mingus among others. Hardman lived in Paris in the last years of his life. “(Hardman) has cultivated a strikingly personal style, which emerges on this album.” (Birger Jørgensen – Århus Stiftstidende on What’s Up) “… in 1989 he made an excellent sextet album, What’s Up (SteepleChase), reuniting with Cook and adding Robin Eubanks’ trombone. At about the same time he moved to Paris, where he died Dec. 5th, 1990 of a cerebral stroke at 57.” (from the article Lest We Forget by George Kanzler – NYCJR Dec. 2020)

This LP was originally released in the summer of 1989 with Doug Raney at age 33. He released during his rather short life (1956 – 2016) 17 leader albums for SteepleChase including this 13th piano-less horn-featured recording which won accolades from critics all over the world. “...Doug Raney is an elegant player even when he’s attacking, as he does here on most of the content .... Certainly recommended if you enjoy your jazz slightly in advance of bebop, but with all of that basic feel still there.” (Martin Richards on SCS 1249, Jazz Journal International) “...no doubt, another in the string of successful Raney releases.” (Paul B. Matthews on SCS 1249, Cadence)

Dexter Gordon used to introduce his favorite pianist Tete Montoliu (1933 – 1997) on stage as “El grand senior from Catalonia!” The first volume of the celebrated series of live recordings from Zelesta, the famed club in Barcelona, was highly acclaimed by the critics and audience alike. “The album captures Tete at the peak of his powers, in inspirational company and among a warmly sympathetic audience…. Thanks to tracks like these we can continue to celebrate his diamond bright lines of compelling logic and vivid beauty.” (Mark Gardner) "… his extraordinary virtuosity permits him to keep the breathtaking speed while playing beautiful melody line with great confidence of improvisations. Here in 1980 trio he explodes with a bang!" (Pierre Schavey, The Lion)

Bassist Mike Richmond billed as the leader of this trio LP recorded in Hamburg, Germany in the early summer of 1988 was a guest performer at the NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk) radio big band together with the two American colleagues, Larry Schneider (saxophone) and Adam Nussbaum (drums). When they were not rehearsing or playing with the big band, they formed a trio and started developing a program for the recording for SteepleChase. So here’s the youthful Schneider/Richmond/Nussbaum coalition to present an engaging trio jazz. “The leader … (with) steadfast mainstream- modern reputation pilots the trio with great enthusiasm.” (The Penguin Guide to Jazz - on SCS 1237)

This is the 11th album guitarist Doug Raney recorded for SteepleChase. Doug was born August 29, 1956 in New York. His father was the guitar legend Jimmy Raney. Doug died May 1, 2016 in Copenhagen, Denmark of heart failure at age 59. The superb rapport between the fluid swing of Doug Raney’s guitar, which is often likened to the phrasing of saxophone players and the sharp and percussive piano of Ben Besiakov made this recording “eminently interesting.” (Jazz Magazine) “A very significant, excellent album!” (Jazz Hot)

Boulou Ferré (b. April 24, 1951 in Paris, France) is one of the greatest French contemporary virtuoso jazz guitarists of the manouche (gypsy jazz) tradition. He was awarded “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Cultural Ministry in 2012. Together with his younger brother Elios Ferré, also a jazz guitarist, Boulou recorded seven albums for SteepleChase. This album was recorded live at “Slukefter” in Tivoli Gardens. “... In this duo acoustic guitar session, the brothers Ferré grab and hold attention ... they maintain a lively, imaginative interplay ... greatly extend the library for acoustic guitar. This is a worthy follow-up of their earlier album SCCD 31120 Pour Django.” (Ottawa Citizen, May 1, 1981) “…The Ferré trio’s performance is full of European flavour… their emotional play suits very well the tunes selected here…” (Okazaki, Swing Journal)

One For Bird

American trumpeter Red Rodney (1927-1994) came into the spotlight with his legendary firecracker pace and pitch late 40s and was hired by Charlie Parker to replace Miles Davis in his quintet (1949-1951). In spite of his turbulent life during the 60s and 70s Rodney made a comeback to the world scene in the 80s. For the interesting details, do read Chris Sheridan’s liner notes included in this release. This 1988 studio recording took place in Copenhagen, Denmark where he lived a couple of years. “...this excellent and restrained session will bring more accolades to this little giant of jazz, Red Rodney.” (Jazznews) “Here is one of the most listenable Red Rodney records to come along in years .... It is Rodney’s superbly lyrical work that makes this an essential record.” (Jazz Journal)

This recording, the fifth release by trumpeter/composer/educator John McNeil on SteepleChase took place during the summer of 1983 in Denmark at jazz club Montmartre as a part of the graduation concert of the famed Jamey Aebersold Jazz School. John toured Europe as a member of the staff of the Jamey Aebersold Jazz School and led this exciting group consist of the fellow “all-star teachers”: Dave Liebman, Jim McNeely, Ron McClure and Ed Soph. McNeil made this concert as a field study of “how-to-make-a-live-recording” for the students in the audience. One of the most influential trumpet players today John McNeil released his first album “Embarkation” SCCD 31099 in 1978 on SteepleChase and gained wider recognition as a member of the Horace Silver Quintet in the late 1970s. McNeil in recent years has been in great demand as a writer, arranger and record producer.