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Kirk Knuffke – Chorale (SCCD 31769)

SCCD 31769 Kirk Knuffke Quartet “Chorale”

In the last few years Cornetist Kirk Knuffke has developed a formidable discography on SteepleChase label with three duo recordings with pianist Jesse Stacken, each of which is a tribute to jazz’s great composers, and one quartet collaboration with veteran saxophonist Ted Brown. Kirk Knuffke filled the new album here entirely with his own original compositions to showcase his unique compositional talent.

" Over the last couple years, New York trumpeter Kirk Knuffke has quietly emerged as one of the most exciting and flexible hornmen on the scene .” Peter Margasak – Downbeat magazine

1. Wingy (Kirk Knuffke)
2. Made (Kirk Knuffke)
3. Kettle (Kirk Knuffke)
4. Standing (Kirk Knuffke)
5. Madley (Kirk Knuffke)
6. Match (Kirk Knuffke)
7. Chorale (Kirk Knuffke)
8. School (Kirk Knuffke)
9. Good Good (Kirk Knuffke)

UPC/EAN: 716043176922

Martin Jacobsen – Live In Tokyo (SCCD 31768)

SCCD 31768 Martin Jacobsen Quartet “Live In Tokyo – The NHK fureai hall concert”

Danish-born tenor saxophonist Martin Jacobsen resides in Paris, France and performs all over the world. Martin frequently gives concerts in many of the Asian countries including Japan, Korea and China. This release is a live recording of a very successful concert performed at Japan’s national public radio/TV network NHK’s “fureai” (contact) hall in 2011 only a few days after that devastating earthquake and tsunami which hit the north-east coast of Japan. The Martin Jacobsen Quartet which consists of Danish tenor, Japanese piano, German bass and English drummer revisited Japan later the same year to give support to the Japanese jazz fans.

“… Jacobsen seems well aware of what makes jazz a vital music. It’s the constant sense of growth and discovery, taking the old and making it new. While this is a fine debut, there’s little doubt that future endeavors will prove even more impressive as the both Jacobsen and the band continue to mature .”

(Derek Taylor- All About Jazz “Current State” SCCD 31548)

1. How Little We Know (Phillip Springer)
2. Are We Alone? (Hiroshi Murayama)
3. Nightfall (Martin Jacobsen)
4. Freemason (Hiroshi Murayama)
5. HeadWay (Martin Jacobsen)
6. The End Of A Love Affair (Edward C. Redding)
7. John Paul Jones (John Coltrane)
8. C Jam Blues (Duke Ellington)

UPC/EAN: 716043176823

Peter Brendler, John Abercrombie – The Angle Below (SCCD 31767)

SCCD 31767 Peter Brendler & John Abercrombie “The Angle Below”

SteepleChase is proud to present the first leader album by this extraordinary talent out of the younger generation of elite double bass players, Peter Brendler. After graduating with great distinction from Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2001, Peter has made New York his home, where he established himself firmly as one of the most sought after bassists. Veteran guitarist John Abercrombie and Brendler have been working together and their mutually inspired collaboration results in this spirited duo project.

. Goodbye (Gordon Jenkins)
. Jazz Folk (John Abercrombie)
. Nick Of Time (John Abercrombie)
. Sweet 16 (John Abercrombie)
. Downhill Runner (Peter Brendler)
. Half Dozen Of The Other (Peter Brendler)
. Misdirection (Peter Brendler)
. Rockaway (Peter Brendler)
. Six Of One (Peter Brendler)
. Valdoviño (Peter Brendler)

UPC/EAN: 716043176724

Ronnie Cuber – Live At JazzFest Berlin (SCCD 31766)

SCCD 31766 Ronnie Cuber “Live In Berlin”

The legendary baritone saxophonist Ronnie Cuber is, as Bill Milkowski of JazzTimes

observes, “ still very much on top of his game at age 70 ”.

One summer night of the famed Berlin Jazzfest of 2008 finds Ronnie and his group in a relaxed and joyous mood backed by the responsive and enthusiastic audience.

“ An astonishingly lyrical player on that most unforgiving of instruments…

It is the intelligence and subtlety of his playing that shines through …” (Sunday Express UK on Ronnie SCCD 31680)

“… while Cuber’s ability to blow over the changes remains unquestioned, it’s his restrained approach and melodic penchant…… that come as a welcome surprise. We all knew Cuber could wail with unparalleled authority, we just didn’t know he could sing so pretty on his big horn .” (Bill Milkowski – JazzTimes on Boplicity SCCD 31734)

1. Tokyo Blues (Horace Silver)
2. Coco B (Clare Fischer)
3. Things Never Were What They Used To Be (Kenny Drew)
4. Passion Fruit (Ronnie Cuber)
5. Tell Me A Bedtime Story (Herbie Hancock)
6. Perpetuating The Myth (Kenny Drew)
7. Arroz Con Pollo (Ronnie Cuber)

UPC/EAN: 716043176625

Stephen Riley – Lover (SCCD 31765)

SCCD 31765 Stephen Riley Quartet “Lover”

“…. a truly special album .” (Terrell Holmes – The New York City Jazz Record on Hart-Beat )

“… a really solid recording, with some noteworthy playing making it a worthy successor in a lineage of great tenor saxophone trio records.” (Gregg Simmons – AAJ on Hart-Beat )

1. Nice Work If You Can Get It (George Gershwin)
2. Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing (Sammy Fain)
3. When I Take My Sugar To Tea (Irving Kahal / Sammy Fain / Pierre Norman Connor)
4. When Your Lover Has Gone (Einar Aaron Swan)
5. When Lights Are Low (Ted Fio Rito)
6. Deluge (Wayne Shorter)
7. Lover (Richard Rodgers)
8. After You, Who? (Cole Porter)
9. Evidence (Thelonious Monk)

UPC/EAN: 716043176526

Niels Vincentz – Gravity (SCCD 31764)

SCCD 31764 Niels Vincentz Trio “Gravity”

January a year ago American born Danish tenor saxophonist Niels Vincentz made CD debut from SteepleChase with his American trio of Cameron Brown on bass and Billy Hart on drums (“Early Reflections SCCD 31737) to critical acclaim. Vincentz presents here the follow-up set with Brown and Hart right after their tours in USA and Denmark.

“ Beautiful SteepleChase debut …so remarkable that it will open the door for Vincentz to the wider jazz audience ..” (Ivan Rod – GAFFA, DK)

“ There’s perfect equilibrium here: no overreaching, no underreaching, either…You hear how centered Vincentz is, and why these Americans dig him .” (M. Jackson – DownBeat)

1. Nancy With The Laughin' Face (Jimmy Van Heusen)
2. Sheila, it's you (Cameron Brown)
3. Twilight Blues (Niels Vincentz)
4. Take That Hill (Niels Vincentz)
5. City Walking (Niels Vincentz)
6. It Could Happen To You (Jimmy Van Heusen)
7. Habibi (Niels Vincentz)
8. Lullaby For George, Don And Dannie (Cameron Brown)
9. Later (Niels Vincentz)

UPC/EAN: 716043176427

Marcus Printup – Desire (SCCD 31763)

SCCD 31763 Marcus Printup Quartet “Desire”

The Lincoln Center Orchestra’s long-time star trumpeter Marcus Printup has teamed up here again with harpist Riza Hequibal to present a brilliantly conceived program of jazz and pop standards together with inspiring originals by Printup and Hequibal.

On the previous collaboration between Marcus and Riza “A Time For Love”

SCCD 31711 Mike Joyce of JazzTimes comments, “… Printup’s cohesive and resourceful trio with harpist Riza Hequibal and bassist Kengo Nakamura recasts and rekindles a string of romantic ballads with a lean mixture of lyricism and swing ….”

1. Along The Way (Riza Hequibal Printup)
2. El Gato Travieso (Marcus Printup)
3. Desire (Marcus Printup)
4. One Note Samba (Antonio Carlos Jobim)
5. Visions (Stevie Wonder)
6. Melancholia (Duke Ellington)
7. I Can't Help It (Stevie Wonder)
8. Bee Dub Blues (Marcus Printup)
9. Rebirth (Riza Hequibal Printup)
10. You've Got A Friend (Carol King)

UPC/EAN: 716043176328

Andrew Rathbun – Shadow Forms II (SCCD 31762)

SCCD 31762 Andrew Rathbun “Shadow Forms II”

Toronto-born and NY-based saxophonist/composer Andrew Rathbun returns to studio with his core group of “Shadow Forms” (SCCD 31598, 2006) to explore further his musical concept of improvisation forming into written music.

Ken Dryden of AAJ wrote on “Shadow Forms”, “This outstanding release remains fresh with each hearing, as new facets of these performances become apparent to the listener .”

“ Shadow Forms is a wonderful album and, in typical Rathbun fashion…” (Budd Kopman – AAJ)

1. Long And The Short Of It (Andrew Rathbun)
2. Add And Subtract (Andrew Rathbun/Scott Lee/Jeff Hirshfield)
3. Harmonicalls (Scott Lee)
4. Meltdown (Andrew Rathbun/Scott Lee/Jeff Hirshfield)
5. Drums And Symbols (Scott Lee)
6. Stutter Step (Andrew Rathbun)
7. All Ways (Scott Lee)
8. Subtract And Add (Andrew Rathbun/Scott Lee/Jeff Hirshfield)
9. Strategery (Andrew Rathbun/Scott Lee/Jeff Hirshfield)
10. Patty Melt (Andrew Rathbun/Scott Lee/Jeff Hirshfield)
11. Hi And Lo (Andrew Rathbun/Scott Lee/Jeff Hirshfield)
12. Speed Up (Andrew Rathbun)
13. Beat Up (Scott Lee)

UPC/EAN: 716043176229

Harold Danko – Oatts & Perry III (SCCD 31761)

SCCD 31761 Harold Danko Quintet “Oatts & Perry III”

“ This album is a true sleeper. the date is beautifully planned and recorded …”, commented Thomas Conrad of JazzTimes on the first “Oatts & Perry” (SCCD 31588) released in 2006. Following the equally highly acclaimed sequel “Oatts & Perry II” (SCCD 31689) of 2010 this latest addition to Harold Danko’s favorite project proves again the pianist/leader Danko’s endless ideas to keep the perfect conversation going between Dick Oatts (alto) and Rich Perry (tenor), arguably the two best on the scene today.

1. Epistophy (Thelonious Monk)
2. Chelsea Bridge (Billy Strayhorn)
3. Well You Needn't (Thelonious Monk)
4. High Priest (McCoy Tyner)
5. Contemplation (McCoy Tyner)
6. Dance Of The Infidels (Bud Powell)
7. Straight No Chaser (Thelonious Monk)
8. Quietude (Thad Jones)
9. Dis Here (Bobby Timmons)

UPC/EAN: 716043176120

Jack Walrath – To Hellas And Back (SCCD 31760)

SCCD 31760 Jack Walrath “To Helles And Back”

Accolade to Jack Walrath the trumpeter and composer includes “imaginative”, “unpredictable” and “whimsically humorous”. Most of the material on this new album is inspired by the composer’s recent trip to Greece which takes us To Hellas And Back of Jack’s enhanced devotion to lyricism and his strong projection on all emotional stectrum.

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CD/DVD Reviewer since 2005

Francis Lo Kee has contributed reviews to AAJ since May 2005.