Aside from producer
Nils Winther
, few label owners are organizing studio jam sessions for record dates in the early 21st century, which is a shame. Fortunately,
Winther
believes in getting different mixes of musicians recording so frequently that he sometimes has to wait several years to release the results. This volume is headlined by three trumpeters:
Marcus Printup
,
Ryan Kisor
, and
Joe Magnarelli
. The first two have primarily recorded for European labels, though each of them got early exposure on U.S. major labels, while the third is a veteran also deserving of wider recognition. Backed by a rhythm section led by pianist
Andy LaVerne
(who has practically become the keyboardist of choice for
Steeplechase
jam sessions), with bassist
Steve LaSpina
and drummer
Billy Drummond
, things gel nicely with strong interpretations of a trio of tunes written by trumpeters:
Thad Jones
'
"Three and One,"
Kenny Dorham
's
"Scandia Skies,"
and
Lee Morgan
"Ca-Lee-So."
LaVerne
penned two pieces for the occasion, the breezy bop vehicle
"Triple Talk"
and the spirited
"Impromptu,"
which prompts an extended workout by the players.
Duke Ellington
"Take the Coltrane,"
a one-off blues written for his sole recorded meeting with
John Coltrane
, is one of the lesser explored pieces from his vast songbook; this snappy version should provoke others into checking out its possibilities. Another regular feature of
jam sessions is the ballad medley that gives each of the front-line soloists an individual feature; the trio of standards allows all three trumpeters to briefly shine alone in the spotlight. ~ Ken Dryden