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Going to see Gilmore on Saturday night at Lydia's in Stoneridge. appearing with Syracuse, Siegel plus Don Byron. 

Release date September 12: One unmistakable sign of a true creative is an uncanny ability to find new ways to express themselves. Sometimes this manifests in new methods for exploring and developing their art. Pianist/composer Michael Wolff looked to beat-making and looping software to help him write new music, which he then arranged for his talented and dedicated Trio, featuring bassist Ben Allison and drummer Allan Mednard. The results are heard on Wolff's new recording, Sunny Day, a fantastic example of jazz swinging in and out of the tradition.Wolff has covered a lot of ground musically in his career. His Trio with Allison and Mednard coalesced while Wolff was miraculously recovering from a near terminal bout with cancer. Allison was one of the first to visit and jam with Wolff as he built his chops back up. Mednard came on board with Allison's suggestion for a fundraising concert for WBGO. As the Trio was present for Wolff's reenergizing, they have remained the pianist's go to ensemble for his diverse projects, never missing a beat. During the pandemic, Wolff began a collaboration with his Berkeley High School friend, producer Nicolaas tenBroek. The two began to experiment with Maschine beat-making software, a regular tool for hip-hop artists. Maschine gave the musicians electronic percussion and synth sounds that they would mold into loops. From there, Wolff would improvise on the loops and record the results. Wolff and tenBroek would then cut and splice together compositions in a sort of musique concrète fashion. Wolff then would orchestrate the pieces in arrangements for the Trio. Allison and Mednard were added to the preassembled loops at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn on May 18 and 19, 2024. Without any instruction, the Trio was able to provide loose and adventurous takes of the material over the source loops. Once the versions with instrumentalists were finished, Wolff and tenBroek went back to the recordings, taking out pieces and amplifying others to create a unique and exciting mix of live acoustic and looped digital sources. There is a joyous nature in the music of Michael Wolff. He has been able to amplify this through his work with his Trio of Ben Allison and Allan Mednard over the past decade. On Sunny Day, the group finds a new way to burnish their trademark sound with a new contemporary approach with loops crafted to lift the music even higher.

Following a 15-year immersion into the vivid, kaleidoscopic world of the legendary Hermeto Pascoal's Group, pianist Jovino Santos Neto made his way from Rio de Janeiro to Seattle in 1993 to set up shop at the Cornish College of the Arts, a thriving incubator of eclectic creativity since the early 1900s. Within weeks he was initiating Seattle musicians into his unique blend of Brazilian, classical and jazz, and quickly formed a group with fellow faculty members to workshop his non-stop output of new compositions. This live recording captures the very first public performance of his now 30-year-old Quarteto, featuring Jovino's compositions unveiled to an enthusiastic crowd at Seattle's historic Kerry Hall on April 28, 1995. With Hans Teuber on saxophones and flute, Mark Ivester on drums and Chuck Deardorf on bass, the evening marks the beginning of a love affair between the city and the abundant force of Pascoal's legacy through his apprentice's exhilarating musical presence. Jovino discovered the tapes from the concert recently and saw the release of them as a fitting and loving tribute to Chuck Deardorf, who was a pivotal member of the ensemble until his passing in 2022. "Everything Santos Neto plays feels like an affirmation of life, creativity and love." Dora Stoutzker Hall, Cardiff, Seen and Heard International. "A brilliant and intuitive keyboard player and flutist who explores jazz, classical and Brazilian traditional music with equal zeal" - Seattle Times   With this debut recording, Belgian pianist Milan Verbist takes another leap in a career that's felt destined to thrive since he was a young boy. The music and activities that filled the days of his father, esteemed bassist Piet Verbist, supplied Milan with a deep well of influences, lessons, and direction, all well-apparent in the patient, dynamic and utterly mature approach his trio takes on this collection of mostly original compositions. Opening with the spacious ballad, "Time Change," Milan, bassist Toon Rumen and drummer Jens Meijer allow the music to unfold through all manner of moods and harmonic landscapes, supplying hints of the masters he's been influenced by as they play the music of Ornette, Gary Peacock, and even Bach, interspersed with five of Milan's compositions. Without a doubt, a career and voice to pay attention to. "A new generation of jazz musicians appears to be taking over, and you couldn't ask for better news. Their interplay is impeccable, and their camaraderie is impeccable. A mountain of atmosphere awaited us - powerful, convincing, subtle..." - PitNieuws (Belgium)

For over four decades, Danish guitarist and composer Pierre Dorge has pushed the boundaries of jazz with a highly personal voice-combining Nordic lyricism with global rhythms, and crafting what critics call "pan-cultural jazz." On Songs for Mbizo, Dorge returns in a stripped-down quartet setting that showcases his singular tone and spiritual depth, this time in tribute to South African bassist Johnny "Mbizo" Dyani, whose legacy courses through Dorge's music like a vibrant thread.Following celebrated small-group releases such as Ballad Round the Left Corner and Blui, this new live recording features Kirk Knuffke, Thommy Andersson, and Martin Andersen (drums)-a dynamic international lineup that breathes fresh intensity into Dyani's compositions.   Award-winning trumpeter/composer/arranger Jason Palmer, a fixture of the Boston jazz scene and frequent SteepleChase recording artist, presents his boldest artistic statement to date with this intimate duo recording. Shorter Songs marks Palmer's first commercially released duo album and pays homage to jazz legend Wayne Shorter through a series of original contrafacts based on Shorter's compositions.Joined by acclaimed pianist Kevin Harris-his longtime musical ally-Palmer explores the emotional and harmonic depth of Shorter's writing while bringing his own contemporary sensibilities into play. "Palmer has proven to be one of the most compelling artists of his generation." (Ken Dryden - NYC Jazz Record) Release date October 10: Saxophonist-composer Chris Byars, praised as a modern master of ensemble writing and conceptual storytelling, delivers new album The Dark Forest his fifteenth release on SteepleChase and perhaps his most introspective to date. Byars' signature Original Jazz Sextet achieves remarkable harmonic and emotional depth through intricate voicings and counterpoint. Critics have celebrated Byars as a visionary of new bop vocabulary. His previous albums like Boptics and Rhythm and Blues of the 20s drew accolades for their smart, infectious writing and engaging solo showcases. "... he knows his musicians so well, Byars is masterful in his writing, blending the reeds and trombone in intricate ensembles while letting the soloists all shine throughout." (Ken Dryden - New York City Jazz Record on SCCD 31929)   Release date September 12: Veteran bassist Scott Lee, renowned for his innovative compositions and masterful performances, brings a fresh and dynamic energy to this his fourth release on SteepleChase. Lee's vision of the bass as a melodic force, alongside pianist Vazquez and drummer Hirshfield, pushes the narrative in unexpected directions. Since moving to NY in the late 70s. Lee has worked with Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Zoot Simms, Al Cohn, Freddie Hubbard, Red Rodney, Kenny Werner, Joe Lovano to mention a few. Bill Smith of JazzTimes comments on One Thought (SCCD 31687)," Leader and bassist Scott Lee offers simple yet thought-provoking music. Those who feel that jazz is losing it's creative edge should hear this album and other basically mainstream offerings of the last few years."