Behind every musical overnight sensation are years of toiling away in rehearsal halls, recording studios and sweaty nightclubs meticulously honing one’s craft. In trumpeter Joey Sommerville’s case, it’s more than two decades of writing, recording and touring to cultivate his following and establish his presence on the national scene. More than 20 years in the making, Overnight Sensation features Earl Klugh, Jeff Lorber, Jeff Bradshaw, Elan Trotman and Eric Essix.

Sommerville’s forte is serving as an impresario of fun and funky frolics and pretty harmonies that touch the heart. He wrote or co-wrote nine of the disc’s ten tracks… Continue reading →

Multiple Grammy Nominee and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenónrepresents a select group of musicians who have masterfully balanced and blended the often-contradictory poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered as one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a composer and as a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between Latin American Folkloric Music and Jazz.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón studied classical saxophone at theEscuela Libre de Música in Puerto Rico before receiving a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies from… Continue reading →

This is the late Joe Sample’s first studio recording of all new compositions since his Grammy nominated Pecan Tree (2002).

Recorded with the NDR Bigband, Hamburg, Germany, featuring Joe Sample on piano, legendary drummer Steve Gadd and trombonist Nils Landgren. This suite of original music is perhaps Sample s most ambitious both compositionally and arrangement-wise.Sample s inspiration for his compositions was a performance at the St. Croix Jazz Festival. In the 17th century, St. Croix was a vital part of what is referred to as the ‘middle passage’ for slavery. The juxtaposition of the beauty of the island, the brutality… Continue reading →

Midnight Rhumba is an exotic escape from the mundane to an exciting world of tropical sounds and passionate rhythms featuring the sensual guitar of multi-award winning instrumentalist Johannes Linstead. His gorgeous melodies and fiery rhythms accompanied by Gypsy violin, Afro-Cuban percussion, and joyful accordion make this a go-to album.

From the Artist:

In an effort to fuse the intention of the compositions with the result, here are some of my thoughts about the pieces.

Destination Nowhere

One of my favorite compositional techniques is to write a phrase then repeat it, changing only the bass notes. This way, the chords and melody take on a whole new meaning. In this example, a repeating C major chord is played in the beginning section while the bass continually changes the root of the chord. When we performs live, I might change these bass notes and vocal line, but the new progression continues… Continue reading →

New to the Fresh! series is Portland-based jazz vocalist, composer, and trumpet & harmonica player Robert Moore. He s evolved a sound uniquely his own, mixing his Southern roots, with influences of soul and gospel, into his own distinct interpretations of bebop and swinging jazz.

Legendary guitarist Hank Marvin, accordionist Nunzio Mondia and guitarist Gary Taylor, brought their passion for Gypsy Jazz to the recording studio and interpreted fourteen of their favourite songs of the genre. Seven of these being compositions by the great Gypsy Jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and swinging violinist extraordinare Stephane Grapelli, who with their group ” The Quintet of The Hot Club of France” started the innovative, acoustic, no drums or horns approach to swing music which is now known as Gypsy Jazz.

Classic standards such as ‘After you’ve Gone’, Honeysuckle Rose’, Coquette’ and ‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love’… Continue reading →

Drummer Ben Bailey tells the story as if it happened yesterday. “I clearly remember the evening I decided that I would one day sit behind the drums for a big band of world class jazz musicians and swing my heart out.” Bailey goes on, “I was in high school. Count Basie’s Orchestra was performing at a Local school. I went to hear an amazing jazz orchestra being kicked and swung by drummer, Duffy Jackson. He showed passion and a complete mastery of power and control.” This sense of Duffy’s musicianship and personality was instantly and permanently etched in Ben’s mind.… Continue reading →

Organist Mark Minchello is no stranger to SteepleChase, having been a member of Elliot Zigmund’s group Trio EZ. He is at home in both the jazz and pop worlds. He has worked with traditional jazz artists Cecil Payne and Ted Curson as well as contemporary jazz artists Boney James, Gerald Albright and Will Downing. For 18 years he served as musical director to R&B Diva Regina Belle. On this leader debut album Mark brings fresh ideas to the great tradition of organ jazz.

1. Wildflower (Wayne Shorter) 2. Blue In Green (Bill Evans) 3. Sometime Ago (Sergio Mihaovich) 4. United… Continue reading →

Having recorded a catalogue of Top 10 albums in a vivid spectrum of jazz hues with topflight musicians for 35 years, Dan Siegel only emerges when he has something engaging to say with his poetic piano and crafty keyboards. Back with his first new statement in five years, Siegel’s DSM record label will release “Indigo” on October 14, a set comprised of ten new compositions that he wrote, arranged and shared production chores with Grammy-nominated bassist Brian Bromberg.

On his 20th album, Siegel creates right up the spine of the jazz dichotomy allowing the melodies, improvisational soloing and grooves to… Continue reading →