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Paul Bley: Notes On Ornette
by C. Andrew Hovan
These are the tunes that have become the stuff of legend. And don’t just take it from this reviewer, ask Pat Metheny and countless others who have found something to say in the early compositions of Ornette Coleman. Either because he was on the West Coast working with Coleman and Don Cherry at the time or ...
Reuben Brown: Blue and Brown
by C. Andrew Hovan
A native of Washington D.C., pianist Reuben Brown seems to have made a few records back in the early ‘90s and then disappeared, taken off the scene by some illness alluded to in the liners to this set. In addition to those sides cut in 1994 that appeared on his debut trio date for SteepleChase, Ice ...
George Colligan: Stomping Ground
by C. Andrew Hovan
One of the best-kept secrets in jazz, pianist George Colligan has developed an intrepid attitude that goes hand-in-hand with a strong sense of identity. That was just as apparent on his first date as a leader for SteepleChase, Activism, as it is on this latest excursion into trio territory. Tunes such as Charles Tolliver’s “Right Now” ...
Andy LaVerne & Dave Samuels: Between Earth & Mars
by C. Andrew Hovan
Like label mate Harold Danko, pianist Andy LaVerne possesses talent that should be commensurate with a much broader public awareness. One of sax legend Stan Getz’s favorite accompanists, LaVerne has built a sizable catalog for SteepleChase over the past two decades- some 18 strong- with Between Earth & Mars serving as a reunion with vibraphonist Dave ...
Louis Smith: Soon
by C. Andrew Hovan
Fast approaching his 70th birthday, trumpeter Louis Smith made a minor splash with the two Blue Note records he led back in the mid ‘50s, only to then vanish under the cover of jazz pedagogy. To be exact, from 1958 to 1978 Smith did not perform or record as a leader, but was active as an ...
Dave Ballou: Volition
by C. Andrew Hovan
In his liner notes to this, the second date as a leader from trumpeter Dave Ballou, writer Mark Gardner sagaciously mentions Tim Hagan, John Swana, and Tom Williams among the talented crew of trumpeters who emerged during the early ‘90s. Of course, Ballou also fits into this group and each of these four men have in ...
Doug Raney: The Backbeat
by C. Andrew Hovan
Some how out of the lineage of significant jazz guitarists, the late Jimmy Raney gets left out of the mix. In equal fashion, it seems like his son Doug suffers from the same lack of awareness on the part of the general jazz public. Doug’s choice to reside in Denmark probably doesn’t help the recognition factor ...
Michal Urbaniak Quartet: Ask Me Now
by C. Michael Bailey
Be Bop Be Bop Be Bop Be Bop Be Bop Be Bop It was not so long ago that I was reviewing a Columbia re-release of Urbaniak's Fusion. That recording found the violinist very much in a Jimi Hendrix/Miles Davis electronic mood (appropriate for the early '70s). While a landmark recording, Fusion did not age well. ...
Vic Juris Quartet: Remembering Eric Dolphy
by C. Andrew Hovan
As a significant statement of its own by guitarist Vic Juris and his sympathetic ensemble, Remembering Eric Dolphy is an undeniable success. As the tribute affair its title suggests it proves to be far more illusive. For one thing, out of the ten selections only four happen to be Dolphy originals, while the rest are new ...
Danny Walsh Quintet: D's Mood
by C. Andrew Hovan
Leave it to SteepleChase producer Nils Winther to have the fortitude for discovering and then giving recording opportunities to the likes of Ari Ambrose, Michael Cochrane, Dave Ballou, and George Colligan in recent years. Now add to this list the name of alto and tenor saxophonist Danny Walsh. Although he has been heard these days with ...
