Stephen Riley - El Gaucho

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:31
Size: 139,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:53)  1. El Gaucho - Take 2
(7:17)  2. Think of One
(9:15)  3. Never Let Me Go
(7:37)  4. Night and Day
(7:17)  5. Central Park West
(7:29)  6. Milestones
(9:15)  7. J. Mood
(5:26)  8. El Gaucho - Take 3

Stephen Riley's fourth CD as a leader for Steeplechase is a bit different, as he has added a piano to the group. With pianist Ernest Turner, bassist Neal Caine, and drummer Jason Marsalis, the tenor saxophonist explores a combination of standards and time-tested jazz compositions. His soft, breathy vibrato in the gorgeous setting of "Never Let Me Go" is an extended affair, with the rhythm section playing conservatively behind him to allow plenty of space. He adds a hip, disguised introduction to "Night and Day," teasing the listener but never outright stating its well-known theme. Riley wails in John Coltrane's "Central Park West," changing the mood completely from the ballad tracks, while his interpretation of Thelonious Monk's "Think of One" is full of humor. The two takes of Wayne Shorter's "El Gaucho" are as different as night and day, though they both merited inclusion. Not many artists have recorded songs by Wynton Marsalis, though that may be because every leader seems to concentrate primarily on his or her compositions. In any case, this early work by the trumpeter proves to be an excellent choice, showcasing Caine's bluesy touch.By Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/el-gaucho-mw0001983521

Personnel: Stephen Riley - tenor saxophone; Ernest Turner - piano; Neal Caine - bass; Jason Marsalis - drums

El Gaucho

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Snorre Kirk Quartet & Stephen Riley - Tangerine Rhapsody

Styles: Bop, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:12
Size: 96,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:45) 1. Unsentimental
(6:50) 2. Tangerine Rhapsody
(3:55) 3. Blues Jump
(4:51) 4. West Indian Flower
(3:50) 5. The Nightingale & The Lake
(5:30) 6. Uptown Swing Theme
(5:18) 7. Festival Grease
(4:09) 8. Nocturne

Stephen Riley, Jan Harbeck (ts); Magnus Hjorth (p); Anders Fjeldsted (b);Snorre Kirk (d)

This quartet is solidly locked in the swing era but that is where drummer leader, Snorre and, presumably, his musicians, want to stay. He has recruited American tenor sax soloist, Riley who plays on all tracks and uses his regular sax man, Harbeck on tracks 2 and 3. Both tenor men play in the swing style and admire Paul Gonsalves which will give you an advance idea of their sounds. Riley favours a heavy, breathy vibrato and is obviously also enamoured of the music of Ben Webster and Johnny Hodges. Drummer leader Snorre is unusual in that he takes no solos and says he ‘does not make a big deal of them on records.’ He does though support vigorously throughout and with tasteful playing. His heroes are Jo Jones and Ed Thigpen and he says that Elvin Jones and Tony Williams are ‘probably a bit too much for me.’ This again will indicate to potential purchasers what to expect.

As to the music it is rooted in the past, but the style is valid, it swings easily under Snorre’s driving drums and Fjelsted’s solid bass. If you are into heavy, shaking vibrato on the tenor sax you will enjoy both soloist’s contributions. Festival Grease is a good, slow, funky blues and Uptown Swing Theme does swing, easily and effectively. West Indian Theme is an attractive calypso that features the bassist’s only solo of the set. Well, at least he gets more than the leader. The music is relaxed and melodic throughout and will go down well with enthusiasts of Ellington, Basie and the like. And what’s not to like about that?
~Derek Ansell https://www.jazzviews.net/snorre-kirk-quartet-with-stephen-riley---tangerine-rhapsody.html

Tangerine Rhapsody

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Stephen Riley - I Remember You

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:19
Size: 161,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:58) 1. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
(7:45) 2. My Ideal
(8:17) 3. I'll Remember April
(8:22) 4. Wild Flower
(6:58) 5. I Remember You
(7:14) 6. Ugly Beauty
(8:22) 7. Alone Together
(9:07) 8. God Bless The Child
(7:11) 9. Equinox

American tenor saxophonist Stephen Riley lists John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Lester Young as his influences. When he just 17, Riley won the Stan Getz/Clifford Brown fellowship, and he has toured and recorded with a host of musicians including, Wynton Marsalis, Joe Levano, Joe Henderson and Michael Brecker. In other words, this man has chops. Riley had recorded around a dozen albums before this one as a leader, and decided that he wanted a change of direction, and use a guitarist rather than a pianist.

The player he chose was in fact, an old music teacher of his, Vic Juris, a guitarist who had played with the likes of Larry Coryell, Lee Konitz, Gary Peacock, Dave Liebman and Joe Locke. Sadly, these would be the last sessions Juris played, because he died from cancer soon after their conclusion. This gives the album’s title a certain poignancy, and on the band photograph on the back of the CD booklet, the three other band members have a trace of a smile on their faces, while Juris looks haunted. The album is dedicated to him.

Bassist Jay Anderson has been a sideman for many including, Bob Belden, Paul Bley, George Cables, Lee Konitz, Bob Mintzer and Maria Schneider. He’s also played with Frank Zappa and David Bowie. Drummer Jason Tiemann’s resume includes Benny Gilson, Dave Liebman and Harold Mabern.

This is a straight-ahead jazz album, with the band playing nine covers, some of them standards from the pop and jazz worlds the composers include Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. The complementary nature of guitar and sax is strongly evident throughout the album, from the opening bossanova-tinged ‘You Stepped Out Of A Dream’ to the powerful closer, Coltrane’s ‘Equinox’. On the former, the influence of Getz is easy to discern, with Riley’s s airy sax phrases producing a cascade of wispy, sighs, and Juris comping excellently, before playing a solo with such touch and delicacy, that the notes sparkle like raindrops dancing off a lake.

On the nine-minute plus Billie Holiday number ‘God Bless The Child,’ Riley and Juris play together softly and tenderly - Juris’s opening, delicate chords and harmonics are a joy to listen to. The band plays a lovely swinging version of Arthur Schwartz’s ‘Alone Together.’ Riley’s opening, snaking solo is accompanied by more superb comping by Juris (just listen to the chiming chord he strikes at around the 1.45 mark). Wayne Shorter’s waltz-time composition ‘Wild Flower’ is played with some zest, while the title track composed by Gene DePaul is an uptempo, feet-tapping, rendition. A note should be made about the great support provided by the rhythm section of Anderson and Tiemann, Anderson also solos excellently on many tracks including, ‘You Stepped Out Of A Dream,’ ‘Equinox,’ and the band’s excellent interpretation of Monk’s haunting waltz, ‘Ugly Beauty.’

This album was a great pleasure to listen to, and one hopes that Riley reaches an even wider audience with it he deserves too. And it’s a fitting swansong to the talented and much-missed Vic Juris.~George Cole https://www.jazzviews.net/stephen-riley---i-remember-you.html

Personnel: Stephen Riley (tenor sax); Vic Juris (guitar); Jay Anderson (bass); Jason Tiemann (drums)

I Remember You

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Stephen Riley - My Romance

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:28
Size: 152,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:41) 1. Paul's Pal
(9:01) 2. Jitterbug Waltz
(8:06) 3. My Romance
(6:35) 4. My Little Suede Shoes
(5:05) 5. Steeplechase
(5:49) 6. Gentle Rain
(4:23) 7. Fall
(8:30) 8. Shiny Stockings
(5:27) 9. Rain Check
(5:46) 10. Recorda Me

"No matter what group Riley puts together for a record date, he merits top marks every time" Ken Dryden (The New York City Jazz Record) attested on Riley's Hold'em Joe, here saxophonist Riley put together his first-ever organ trio with Brian Charlette, one of the hottest B-3 players today.

The organ trio setting propels Riley's unique sound to a new dimension.

"Riley continues to surprise listeners with his creative settings of familiar jazz."~Ken Dryden on 'Friday The 13th'https://www.propermusic.com/sccd31932-my-romance.html

Personnel: Stephen Riley: tenor saxophone; Brian Charette: B-3 Hamond organ; Billy Drummond: drums

My Romance

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Stephen Riley, Ernest Turner - Original Mind

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:09
Size: 108,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:12) 1. Doris
(6:23) 2. Among My Souvenirs
(4:58) 3. Beautiful Moon Ago
(7:52) 4. J
(4:35) 5. Namely You
(5:07) 6. Sophisticated Lady
(4:55) 7. Light Blue
(6:24) 8. Turnin’
(4:39) 9. Blessed Assurance

Saxophonist Stephen Riley and pianist Ernest Turner present a poignantly beautiful set of originals and standards

Hailing from North Carolina, tenor saxophonist Stephen Riley and pianist Ernest Turner come together to present a poignantly beautiful set of original compositions and standards. Recorded in a beautiful house on the West side of Vancouver, BC, Canada the sound quality is absolutely wonderful, capturing every single nuance. The interplay between the two musicians is purely magic. Features a beautiful tune selection including some original material, lesser known standards and a gospel hymn that highlights the wonderfully unique tenor saxophone sound of Stephen Riley. Released September 17, 2021

Personnel: Stephen Riley – tenor saxophone; Ernest Turner - piano

Original Mind

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Stephen Riley - Friday the 13th

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:50
Size: 158,9 MB
Art: Front

( 9:25)  1. Love For Sale
(10:49)  2. Four
( 8:58)  3. Freedom Jazz Dance
( 5:11)  4. Friday The 13th
( 6:38)  5. Hoe Down
( 7:20)  6. Round About Midnight
( 8:53)  7. Our Man Higgins
( 6:13)  8. Willisee
( 5:18)  9. Gingerbread Boy

Several subjective connotations are gleanable from the title of saxophonist Stephen Riley’s latest album as a leader for Steeplechase. First, there’s the numerical reference reflecting his thirteenth session as a leader for the Danish label. More transparently, Friday the 13th is a Thelonious Monk composition, at once part of the program and reflective of Riley’s open-ended approach to the pieces selected for the project in sum. It’s also a sardonic (if probably unintentional) metaphor for the past four luckless years of American political life. Riley’s brand of jazz has always been the opposite of that disastrously fractious debacle, and instead ripe with amicable collaboration, inquisitive exploration, and equity-minded improvisation. Only eighteen-months have elapsed since Riley’s band hit the studio, but the gestation period for the date may still feel painfully protracted for anyone familiar with the players. Riley and cornetist Kirk Knuffke have been circling around the promise of a piano-free quartet encounter for years. The tenorist’s early recordings emphasized bass and drums accompaniment and his last added the trumpet of Joe Magnarelli to an already potent crew. Knuffke had something of unrelated dry run eight-years ago in the company of elder Ted Brown, a tenorist whose sound has much in common with Riley by way of Warne Marsh. The two played together on a steady string of projects under the leadership of guitarist Pierre Dørge, and vocalists Allegra Levy and Steve Herring before finally landing in the studio in undiluted association.

The collective strength of the program’s nine pieces makes the delay behind this occasion almost instantly forgivable. Tonally and harmonically, Riley and Knuffke are like siblings separated at birth. Each ekes exacting, breath-suffused phrasing from his instrument that is saturated in striated textures and billowy warmth. The opening tandem salvos on “Love for Sale” are the first of many examples of just how well they mesh in the complementary investigation of a melodic line. “Four” is even more intentionally diffuse on the surface as a loose string of diaphanous solos starting with a richly nuanced Riley soliloquy reveals an umbrella logic in execution grounded by bassist Jay Anderson’s shading and shadow commentary. Knuffke absorbs it all patiently before taking talkative wing himself on the tail end. Eddie Harris’ “Freedom Jazz Dance,” “Oliver Nelson’s “Hoe Down,” and Dewey Redman’s “Willisee” almost sound like classic Ornette Coleman performances in terms of the amount of melodic equilibrium achieved between the players. Drummer Billy Drummond’s propulsive snare rolls kick off the former, supporting a staggered statement of the theme by the horns that’s plump with playful swagger and deceptively slippery in terms of rhythmic center. The Nelson tune is bright and bouncy, too, with a barn dance vamp giving way to another Riley reverie built from cotton candy phrases that glom together into a confectionary aural gestalt. Knuffke and Riley are a directly collaborative pairing now and their partnership politely demands many more dates like this one. ~ Derek Taylor https://dustedmagazine.tumblr.com/post/616199901347545088/stephen-riley-friday-the-13th-steeplechase

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Stephen Riley; Trumpet – Kirk Knuffke;  Bass – Jay Anderson; Drums – Billy Drummond

Friday the 13th

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Stephen Riley - Oleo

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:58
Size: 154,1 MB
Art: Front

( 7:36)  1. Ornithology
( 9:10)  2. Doxy
( 6:56)  3. St. Thomas
( 7:06)  4. Valse Hot
( 8:23)  5. On Green Dolphin Street
( 6:10)  6. Minority
( 6:20)  7. Oleo
( 3:59)  8. Lazy Bird
(11:14)  9. Don't Get Around Much Anymore

Magnificent long-blown solos from tenorist Stephen Riley  on an album named after a Sonny Rollins tune, and which definitely carries a bit of the Rollins approach in its sound! Yet the album's also got plenty of Riley's strengths in the mix, too  that great raspy sound he can get on the tenor, which also echoes a bit of Ben Webster, but with more contemporary phrasing  matched in the frontline by the trumpet of Joe Magnarelli, who we always love in an open date like this  with just the bass of Jay Anderson and drums of Adam Nussbaum for support. The lack of piano allows for plenty of structural freedom on the tunes and titles include "Oleo", "Minority", "Doxy", "Valse Hot", "Lazy Bird", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "St Thomas".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/928719/Stephen-Riley:Oleo

Personnel: Stephen Riley - tenor saxophone; Joe Magnarelli - trumpet; Jay Anderson - bass; Adam Nussbaum - drums

Oleo

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Stephen Riley - Inside Out

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:17
Size: 157,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:43)  1. All Alone
(7:01)  2. Bluesette
(7:20)  3. Barbados
(8:42)  4. Say It Isn't So
(7:59)  5. Bemsha Swing
(7:53)  6. Ju Ju
(5:34)  7. There's a Small Hotel
(6:46)  8. Infant Eyes
(5:38)  9. Chelsea Bridge
(5:35) 10. Inside Out

Stephen Riley (Tenor Saxophonist) Stephen Riley was born in Greenville North Carolina on November 19th, 1975. Growing up his mother Rhonda Riley was a music teacher (classical voice & piano). At age 4 she started Stephen and his older Brother Jonathan on Violin, both studying the Suzuki method. At age 10 Stephen began playing Alto Saxophone and became very interested in Jazz. He began listening and absorbing the sounds of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Lester Young, etc..... By the time he reached high school, he was accepted into a school of the arts in Florida (where his mother was on faculty). During this time he made the transition to tenor saxophone. By the time he was 17 years old, he was a winner of the Stan Getz/Clifford Brown fellowship award. Bassist "Rufus Reid" was one of the judges for this competition and invited Stephen to come to William Patterson University, in Wayne New Jersey (Where Rufus was head of the Jazz Department). After a year at William Patterson univ, He moved to New York city, where he was quickly noticed by many highly esteemed Jazz Artists.... http://www.durhamjazzworkshop.org/stephen-riley.html

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Clarinet – Stephen Riley;  Bass – Neal Caine; Drums – Gregory Hutchinson

Inside Out

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Stephen Riley - Hold 'Em Joe

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:35
Size: 153,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:58)  1. I Never Knew
(5:21)  2. Where or When
(5:17)  3. Hold 'Em Joe
(7:37)  4. Darn That Dream
(4:00)  5. Three Little Words
(7:18)  6. Woody 'N' You
(6:59)  7. Almost Like Being in Love
(7:31)  8. You've Changed
(3:59)  9. I'm an Old Cowhand
(7:02) 10. Ghost of a Chance
(6:28) 11. The Song Is You

No need to hold 'em here as tenorist Stephen Riley is warmly fluid, right out of the gate working in a loose trio formation that gives him a huge amount of space to express himself! Riley's got this crispy tone, but one that's also down to earth able to hit modern moments, yet never too in love with itself to forget to swing which Stephen does nicely in the company of Jay Anderson on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums! There's a depth of tenor feeling that goes back to the early modern innovators but the setting is also hipper than a straighter swing date, too and without the piano, Riley really opens up tunes that include "Woody N You", "Hold Em Joe", "I Never Knew", "The Song Is You", "You've Changed", and "Three Little Words".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/897027/Stephen-Riley:Hold-Em-Joe

Personnel:Tenor Saxophone – Stephen Riley; Bass – Jay Anderson; Drums – Adam Nussbaum

Hold 'Em Joe

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Stephen Riley, Peter Zak - Deuce

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:23
Size: 153,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:49)  1. Please
(7:01)  2. Lover Man
(5:50)  3. Everything Happens to Me
(1:30)  4. Interlude, Pt. 1
(6:44)  5. Tetragon
(0:48)  6. Interlude, Pt. 2
(6:06)  7. Who?
(6:28)  8. Shala
(6:16)  9. Pannonica
(1:46) 10. Interlude, Pt. 3
(7:29) 11. Exactly Like You
(8:30) 12. Without a Song

Deuce is an apt appellation for tenorist Stephen Riley’s latest Steeplechase affair in league with pianist Peter Zak. It’s his tenth as a leader for the label, joining another half dozen titles as a sideman or co-conspirator. In the game of tennis, it signifies a tie score and is therefore an apposite summation of the concordant relationship Riley’s forged with Zak in recent years. A prolific purveyor for Steeplechase in his own right, Zak logged two sessions as a member of Riley’s quartet before Haunted Heart, the duo date that predates this one. Riley and Zak are exemplary of a time-tested trend at the Danish imprint. Once signed, artists tend to stay. Riley’s early efforts relied on an intriguing absence of piano, allowing his fluid and floating style freedom from strict chordal tethering while retaining the supple support of bass and drums. Conscripting Zak ran counter to that template, but was auspicious given the pianist’s penchant for spare accompaniment and close listening. This project tilts that script a bit by giving Zak greater prominence, most commonly in a series of mid-piece detours where Riley beneficently drops out. Zak revels in the room relegated, spinning lovely melodic variations that match Riley in both intellect and imagination and enliven even the more conventional pieces with a sense of sly, on the fly derring-do.The program reflects Riley’s usual preference for ancient standards intermixed with occasionally more modern fare. In the case of the latter there’s stirring rendering of Joe Henderson’s “Tetragon” that finds him folding in convincing facsimiles of the composer’s wry tonal tractability. 

Monk’s “Pannonica” also receives a reading with Zak playing relative straight man to Riley’s verdant voicing of the platonically-minded theme. Breaking with previous projects, Riley also threads in a trio of “Interludes”, fleeting improvisations formed from cyclic chord progressions that serve as interstitial palate cleansers. Zak’s “Shala” is the other original, a lush ballad that aligns with the aural pastels and watercolors of the rest of the set.“Everything Happens to Me” stands out amongst the standards with Riley’s signature bifurcated rasp ranging through the theme sans Zak at the outset. The pianist’s entry is suitably reserved and uncluttered as the pair glides across a string of variations that convey a cottony cast of comfort without losing sight of the gentle and genial fatalism at the tune’s core. The icing of this particularly well-concocted confection comes in the close as Riley dials up the texture quotient through his reed and spirals into silence with a cadenza ripe in striated tonal richness. Riley and Zak may be working along the comparative edges when it comes to commercial recognition and remuneration, but their partnership is every bit as deserving of close consideration alongside the classic tandem associations in jazz. ~ Derek Taylor

Personnel:  Stephen Riley - tenor saxophone; Peter Zak - piano

Deuce

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Stephen Riley - Baubles, Bangles and Beads

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:11
Size: 148,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:11)  1. Baubles, Bangles and Beads
(8:14)  2. Wait Till You See Her
(4:12)  3. I've Told Ev'ry Little Star
(6:20)  4. I Thought About You
(6:52)  5. Who?
(5:16)  6. Hellhound On My Trail
(3:23)  7. Cherokee
(9:16)  8. Taking A Chance On Love
(5:32)  9. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
(4:25) 10. I Heard That Lonesome Whistle
(5:24) 11. Baubles, Bangles and Beads

In spite of his preference for piano-less format, saxophonist Stephen Riley found the ideal pianist for him in Peter Zak, with whom he recorded his previous album 'Lover'. Here on his 11th release Riley is backed by the same team, including Zak, to interpret an amazing collection of classic but rarely heard jazz titles. Since his 2005 debut album 'Inside Out' Riley has kept momentum to become and remain a "distinctly unique jazz voice" (leading Chicago journalist Neil Tesser). On 'Baubles, Bangles and Beads' he is also joined by bassist Neal Caine and drummer Jason Marsalis, a member of the famous Marsalis family. "Riley's unconventional use of ultra-hard reed to essay a satin soft sound - a common sense contradiction - sets him apart from every other under-40 player I can think of. This date brings his track record as a leader to seven for seven and, for reasons I'm still discovering and savouring, it comes highly recommended." 

~ Derek Taylor, Dusted Magazine (on 'Lover'). https://www.propermusic.com/product-details/Stephen-Riley-Baubles-Bangles-and-Beads-182601

Personnel: Stephen Riley (tenor saxophone), Peter Zak (piano), Neal Caine (bass), Jason Marsalis (drums)

Baubles, Bangles and Beads

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Allegra Levy - Cities Between Us

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:42
Size: 147,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:38)  1. Cherry Blossom Song
(5:13)  2. Lullaby of the Orient
(5:24)  3. I Shouldn't Tell You
(4:12)  4. Misery Makes the Music
(5:07)  5. Yesterdays
(5:14)  6. Dear Friend
(5:28)  7. Sleepwalk with Me (In Sek Tong Tsui)
(4:37)  8. Soy Califa
(8:40)  9. Leaving Today
(6:18) 10. Down Sunday
(6:45) 11. Cities Between Us

He continues to move in the wake of tradition including Peggy Lee and Chris Connor the young New York singer and author, a graduate of the New England Conservatory. After the debut of 2014 (Lonely City, SteepleChase) in this second album Allegra changes its organic and expressive climate. The new partners include Kirk Knuffke at the cornet, Jay Anderson on the double bass and Billy Drummond on drums, while the general atmosphere is no longer intimist and melancholic but rhythmically relaxed and full of groove. In this regard Neil Tesser, who wrote the cover notes, notes that the subtitle of the album could be The Lighter Side of Allegra Levy. All the vocal talents expressed in the debut are confirmed: elegant timbral flare, interpretations that alternate lightness and emotional intensity, highlighting flexibility of register, colloquial warmth and good interpretative taste. In the debut album, Allegra also distinguished herself for her talent, which we find here. All songs are his except "Yesterdays" the famous theme of Jerome Kern and another couple of standards, which the singer has provided texts. After a "Cherry Blossom" with a captivating thirties arrangement, they follow the lullaby ballad "Lullaby of the Orient" by Duke Jordan, the first of two arrangements by John McNeil and still "I Should not Tell You" where the intense emerge Stephen Riley's websterian tenor sax and the spirited Knuffke.

Everything flows to the end with a good balance between the vocal and the instrumental dimensions, with interventions always sought after and attentive to melodic values. Translate by Google ~ Angelo Leonardi https://www.allaboutjazz.com/cities-between-us-allegra-levy-steeplechase-records-review-by-angelo-leonardi.php

Personnel: Allegra Levy: vocals; Kirk Knuffke: cornet; Stephen Riley: tenor saxophone; Carmen Staaf: piano; Jay Anderson: bass; Billy Drummond: drums.

Cities Between Us

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Ari Ambrose & Stephen Riley - Tenor Treats Two

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 2009

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 66:09

Size: 152,1 MB

Art: Front

( 9:17)  1. Sandu

(13:12)  2. Wave

( 7:02)  3. Back Home In Indiana

( 7:24)  4. 502 Blues

( 9:49)  5. Scrapple From The Apple

( 7:49)  6. Darn That Dream

(11:32)  7. How High The Moon

Resuming right where its companion volume left off, this disc delivers another stimulating hour-plus colloquy between its co-leaders. Tenorist Ari Ambrose gets top billing on the tray card, but it’s very much an affair of equals, onset to finish. Stephen Riley is the more overtly mercurial and idiosyncratic of the two frontline partners. His lushly-conceived tone and phrasing are instantly recognizable, a post-millennial alloy of Lester Young disciples running from Don Byas through Teo Macero to Warne Marsh an on to Wayne Shorter and beyond. That hollowed-out huskiness frequently contrasts swimmingly with Ambrose’s often more straightforwardly athletic sound. On the previous volume, Ambrose playfully aped his partner at several junctures, adopting a grainy timbre and fluttery doppelganger inflection when voicing a line. He keeps that mimicry to a minimum here. This set also stands apart in the greater degree on interplay between the horns. Several of their spiraling chases recall the sort of near-telepathic harmonic congruity between the aforementioned Marsh and Lee Konitz. Solos are still the frequent conveyance for forward momentum, but the heightened willingness on the part of the principals to engage each other directly gives this volume a distinctive and definitive edge. There numerous are moments where their overlapping lines become an organized tangle of free-flowing counterpoint. Bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Matt Wilson aren’t simply window-dressing. Both men actively feed and respond to the tenors with shifting backdrops and move to the foreground for improvisations when situation permits. The tunes don’t offer much in the way of surface surprises, though it is a treat to see Jimmy Rowles “502 Blues” amongst the other bop and earlier familiars. It along with El Gaucho, Riley’s just-released quartet record (also on Steeplechase) are oblique hints to the saxophonist’s abiding affection for Shorter’s Adam’s Apple. A 13+ minute foray through Jobim’s “Wave” departs from the predictable through the tenors’ close dissection of the dog-eared bossa theme, itself a melody seemingly custom tailored to Riley’s romance-ready vernacular. Listeners with a yen for tandem tenor that treads reliably off the beaten track are strongly advised to check this and the earlier volume out without compunction.

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone – Ari Ambrose; Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Stephen Riley;  Bass – Jay Anderson;  Drums – Matt Wilson

Tenor Treats Two

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Stephen Riley - Lucky Seven

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:46
Size: 143,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:19)  1. Heigh Ho, The Gang's All Here
( 9:11)  2. Dance Cadaverous
( 9:07)  3. Lovely To Look At
( 9:51)  4. 26-2
( 9:38)  5. Sandu
(10:27)  6. Try To Forget
( 7:10)  7. Lucky Seven

“…Playing jazz is not simply about mood, emotion, creativity; it has technical aspects reliable reed did it’s job to perfection and a further challenging chapter in the musical Life of Riley was written.” ~ Mark Gardner

"Stephen is an impressive player, with his own approach, his own sound and the conviction to keep it that way: he shows that it's possible to create something unique at this time. 5  Stars." ~ Lew Tabackin

Personnel:  Stephen Riley , tenor saxophone;  Ernest Turner, piano;  Neil Caine, bass;  Jason Marsalis, drums

Lucky Seven

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Stephen Riley - Once Upon A Dream

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:57
Size: 158,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:54)  1. Israel
(6:52)  2. I'm an Old Cowhand
(7:45)  3. In My Solitude
(8:13)  4. Swinging Till the Girls Come Home
(5:00)  5. Lover Come Back to Me
(6:07)  6. The Very Thought of You
(8:20)  7. Tea for Two
(6:03)  8. All of You
(7:13)  9. Meditation
(3:56) 10. Once Upon a Dream
(3:31) 11. Tune Up

Stephen Riley's third CD as a leader for Steeplechase, like his earlier sessions for the label, is a pianoless affair, but the tenor saxophonist's sole musical partner is fellow Duke University jazz professor John Brown on bass. Although duos of tenor sax and bass are hardly a novelty, they aren't that common; Riley and Brown make the addition of other musicians unnecessary. The repertoire they chose for the recording included standards and a sprinkling of jazz compositions, almost all of which were written prior to 1960. Johnny Carisi's "Israel" has long been a favorite of jazz musicians and the duo's intricate interpretation proves that the lack of piano is no problem. Like Sonny Rollins, they find possibilities within Johnny Mercer's "I'm an Old Cowhand," though the only percussion is provided by Brown's playful taps on the body of his bass; Riley's humor comes through as he uses the full range of his horn and adds a few flutters without overdoing them. Riley's lush rendition of Duke Ellington's "In My Solitude" has the lyricism of Ben Webster, while Brown's arco bass provides a sublime background. Brown walks up a storm in Oscar Pettiford's "Swinging Till the Girls Come Home." Even old chestnuts like "Tea for Two" keep one's interest, due to the inventive approach of Riley and Brown. "Once Upon a Dream" was adapted from Tchaikovsky's ballet The Sleeping Beauty, and the duo's setting of this charming jazz waltz is full of lyricism. Both Stephen Riley and John Brown merit wider attention in the jazz press with this outstanding CD. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/once-upon-a-dream-mw0000585362

Personnel: Stephen Riley (tenor saxophone).

Once Upon A Dream

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Stephen Riley - Easy to Remember

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:25
Size: 145,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:28)  1. It's Easy to Remember
(10:15)  2. Big Foot
( 7:33)  3. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?
( 7:39)  4. What's New?
( 9:06)  5. Over the Rainbow
( 4:17)  6. The Sheik of Araby
( 9:10)  7. Yesterdays
( 7:53)  8. Ladybird

Saxophonist Stephen Riley has one foot planted firmly in jazz history (his style recalls Ben Webster and Paul Gonsalves), but his crisp, Easy To Remember (2007) finds Riley teaming with drummer Jason Marsalis and bassist Neil Caine for a set of relaxed yet adventurous readings of familiar tunes such as "The Sheik of Araby," "Over the Rainbow," and Charlie Parker's "Big Foot." The taut, swinging energy is superceded only by the kinetic interplay between these fine musicians. https://www.allmusic.com/album/easy-to-remember-mw0000475708

Easy to Remember

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Stephen Riley - Hart-Beat

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:13
Size: 138,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:01)  1. Just You Just Me
(5:43)  2. Isotope
(9:33)  3. Lonnie's Lament
(5:21)  4. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
(7:27)  5. Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are
(9:23)  6. The End Of A Love Affair
(6:04)  7. Mr. Sandman
(8:08)  8. Black Narcissus
(4:29)  9. All Go'd Chillun Got Rhythm

The tenor saxophone trio is one of the great, if somewhat underutilized lineups in jazz. Stephen Riley has made a study of the format and delivers a fine addition to a limited canon with Hart-beat. Eschewing piano and leaving the horn to carry the musical weight all by itself is an idea that was recorded by the great Sonny Rollins as early as Way Out West (Contemporary, 1957). That record set a very high standard that is rarely met, let alone exceeded. It is the Godfather of the format. One later effort that does come close is Joe Henderson's State of the Tenor (Blue Note 1985), a live recording from New York's Village Vanguard that delivered one of the definitive tenor performances of its decade. Where the Rollins date is snappy and melodic, Henderson's performance is looser, wandering a little more with his improvisations, leaving plenty of room for the bassist Ron Carter and drummer Al Foster.  Hart-beat follows in the footsteps of the Henderson record, with loose, breathy interpretations of standards by pianist Thelonious Monk, saxophonist John Coltrane and, yes, Joe Henderson. Riley's sound is a little understated, relying on good construction and control, without ever screaming his horn. On this date it would be fair to call him a quiet, if energetic player. "Isotope" gets a quick statement of the melody before Neal Cane joins the fray with clean forward bass line. Riley takes his improvisations up a notch with each chorus, building a wonderfully sophisticated solo before laying out for the bass to take a turn.

A less frequently played Monk classic, "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are," gets a similarly wandering treatment with equally good results. In deciphering Monk, Riley makes the critically important choice to internalize the melody into his improvisation instead of just playing over it. This kind of depth is the difference between an okay Monk interpretation and a really good one; this is a really good one. Special mention should be made of drummer Billy Hart, the most seasoned musician on the date. A veteran of Miles Davis' On the Corner (Columbia, 1972), Hart provides subtle, graceful rhythm with Riley's understated playing. Like everything else on this date, the drumming is very sophisticated. The other Henderson tune, "Black Narcissus" has Hart splashing his cymbals out behind the bass and horn, initially providing less beat and more aural soundscape before he picks up the rhythm on the ride with a rim tap. It's very sweet, delicate drumming. So does Hart-beat live up to the standards set by Henderson and Rollins? That's a tough call, given the iconic status of those efforts. In all fairness, those are almost impossibly high standards to meet. Hart- beat is, however, a really solid recording, with some noteworthy playing making it a worthy successor in a lineage of great tenor saxophone trio records. ~ Greg Simmons https://www.allaboutjazz.com/hart-beat-stephen-riley-steeplechase-records-review-by-greg-simmons.php
 

Personnel: Stephen Riley: tenor saxophone; Neal Cane: bass; Billy Hart: drums.

Hart-Beat

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Stephen Riley & Peter Zak - Haunted Heart

Styles: Saxophone and Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:12
Size: 161,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:28)  1. Isfahan
(7:29)  2. You Do Something To Me
(6:26)  3. Prisoner Of Love
(7:20)  4. Punjab
(5:20)  5. The Intimacy Of The Blues
(5:15)  6. Haunted Heart
(5:09)  7. After You've Gone
(5:12)  8. Moment's Notice
(5:23)  9. There's A Small Hotel
(7:51) 10. Alice In Wonderland
(8:15) 11. Pennies From Heaven

Seventy-years ago, the Great American Songbook was still paramount as the professional jazz performer’s bible. Players who couldn’t hang when popular tunes were called summarily found themselves shame-faced on the sidelines of a jam session or gig. Though barely pushing forty, saxophonist Stephen Riley comes out of that storied fealty to melodic mastery and the primacy of a well-minted song. Ten years Riley’s senior, pianist Peter Zak is equivalently versed. The pair put tradition to practice on Haunted Heart, an intimate assemblage of eleven standards that skew towards pre-WWII provenance, but prove anything but antiquated. Zak first teamed with Riley on the saxophonist’s fifth album, adding an element in his instrument that was previously outside the tenorist’s usual purview. Even so, the caliber of their musical camaraderie was nearly instantaneous. The accompanying essay to their last album together intimated the existence of this date and the results are certainly worth the wait. Absent bass and drums as rhythmic agents, the duo relies on agreed upon aural semaphores to keep the interplay from flagging. Zak’s keyboard approach, at once spare and porous allows his partner to range freely through the contours of each piece and devote an even greater than customary focus on textured tonal variation. Riley uses the hardest reeds possible to generate a breathy, almost bifurcated sound that sheathes his phrases in an enveloping fine-grained rasp with direct antecedents in past tenor paragons like Don Byas and Ben Webster.

Billy Strayhorn’s ballad “Isfahan” serves as opener and a scintillating distillation of the carefully-constructed dynamics on display as Riley voicing the theme with sensuous, flute-like buoyancy and Zak shapes terrestrial-bound chords beneath him. Joe Henderson’s “Punjab”, previously tackled by Riley on an earlier session and a regular entry in his stage songbook, features the duo in an up-tempo interaction that expertly blends melodic velocity with emotive import. Once again the spontaneous communication spills over into the sublime with each player anticipating and answering the other with accelerated alacrity. Coltrane’s “Moment’s Notice” is the other “relatively-recent” selection and still well over six decades old. While not quite on par with the pristine performance of the Henderson piece, it’s still a gorgeous parade of sustained invention especially in a surprising mid-piece downshift to waltz-time. “Prisoner of Love”, “After You’ve Gone” and “Pennies from Heaven” all feature unaccompanied introductory choruses by Riley. His sterling command of the form suggests that a future solo album venture should be an enterprise worthy of serious consideration. Zak’s already recorded in that setting and takes comparable honors on “The Intimacy of the Blues”, the title piece and “Alice in Wonderland”. He makes equally excellent use of the isolation in priming the ears for Riley’s empyrean entry in each case. Whatever reservations the tenorist once harbored about piano placement in his ensembles or as pinion-resistant partner for improvisation, it’s safe to surmise they are firmly the province of the past. ~ Derek Taylor http://dustedmagazine.tumblr.com/post/132150779020/stephen-riley-peter-zak-haunted-heart

Personnel: Stephen Riley (tenor saxophone), Peter Zak (piano)

Haunted Heart

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Stephen Riley - Lover

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 2013

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 64:59

Size: 149,5 MB

Art: Front

(8:28)  1. Nice Work If You Can Get It

(6:27)  2. Love Is a Many/Splendored Thing

(6:49)  3. When I Take My Sugar To Tea

(8:34)  4. When Your Lover Has Gone

(5:37)  5. When Lights Are Low

(8:57)  6. Deluge

(6:11)  7. Lover

(4:55)  8. After You, Who?

(8:56)  9. Evidence

Saxophonist Stephen Riley favored a sans-piano format on his first few albums as a leader all the better to showcase his lithe, striated tenor without the potential constrictions imposed by a chordal instrument. Since those early efforts, he’s teamed up with pianist Ernest Turner on a pair of occasions. The switch in strategy initially took some getting used to, but it also swiftly revealed Riley’s skill at excelling in virtually any small group setting. My preference still lies with his piano-less ventures, but I’ve definitely warmed to those where keys are a factor. Lover, Riley’s latest, employs the talents of label mate Peter Zak at the ivories. (Longtime bassist Neal Caine and drummer Jason Marsalis are also on hand.) Zak proves an even better fit with Riley’s sensibilities than Turner did. His preference for playing sparingly and succinctly leaves the players plenty of space to move and react. The musical chemistry between the pair is so potent that the session produced not one but two discs worth of material; the second will be released later.  As he has in past recordings for the Danish label Steeplechase, Riley retools antiquated standards with unconventional arrangements. The title tune forms a loose sort of thematic trilogy with two others, in which the presence of “Love” in the titles telegraphs a pervasive romantic bent.

Zak sits out during the opening of “Nice Work if You Can Get It” leaving Riley to weave beautifully with bass and drums. Caine’s strings have a reverberating snap that is accentuated by punctuating strums. Flirting with oblique iterations of the theme, Riley folds in a winking tag from Charlie Parker’s “Koko” before finally revealing the melody proper in full at the close. Zak leads for much of “Love Is a Many Splendored Things” setting up a solo prelude as a counterpart to Riley’s lush unaccompanied tenor cadenza. Suitably obscure in origin, “When I Take My Sugar Tea” is parsed with playful pauses and tempo shifts. Caine and Marsalis earn their hazard pay by keeping pace with Riley’s hairpin turns and caroming asides. An aggressive drum solo disperses into light-touch Tin Pan Alley syncopations and sets up the unabashed beauty on display for “When Your Lover Has Gone.”

Riley and Zak take “When Lights Are Low” together without support. It’s a five-and-a-half minute exercise in tempering comeliness with close colloquy. Wayne Shorter’s “Deluge” and Monk’s “Evidence” drag the songbook forward a few decades, and the quartet gives both the collective workout each deserves. Each piece exposes Riley’s kinship with the specific moods of the composer. The former builds from a subdued melancholic open and caps with a pithy Coltrane quote. The latter develops through a string of duo exchanges where Riley flirts with the angular Monkian melody before going silent for much of the second half and  leaving his rhythm section to their own devices. My abiding admiration (some might argue bias) for Riley’s work is no secret to those who have read coverage here at Dusted over the years. His unconventional use of ultra-hard reed to essay a satin soft sound a common sense contradiction sets him apart from every other under-40 player I can think of. This date brings his track record as a leader to seven for seven and, for reasons I’m still discovering and savoring, it comes highly recommended. ~ Derek Taylor http://dustedmagazine.tumblr.com/post/72564002367/stephen-riley-lover-steeplechase

Personnel: Stephen Riley (tenor saxophone), Peter Zak (piano), Neal Caine (bass), Jason Marsalis (drums)

Lover

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