Steve Grossman - In New York

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:56
Size: 167,2 MB
Art: Front

(13:15)  1. Speak Low
( 9:46)  2. My Ship
(12:09)  3. Softly as in a Morning Sunrise
(10:15)  4. Impressions
( 9:30)  5. Over the Rainbow
( 8:56)  6. Love for Sale
( 9:02)  7. Good Bait

For his second Dreyfus Jazz album, Grossman ventures into New York's Sweet Basil club, with a stellar piano trio (McCoy Tyner, Avery Sharp, Art Taylor) in tow. With this kind of firepower, the listener is usually guaranteed a satisfying level of cooking jazz, and that's certainly what we get here, though it seldom rises above that into a higher region. Grossman's tune choices are mostly predictable standards, the one exception being his own cheeky title "Love for Sal," a bop-style number where the bass and then the piano double the tune's lead sax statement. Throughout, Grossman likes to fire away the eighth notes in that pungent, Sonny Rollins-influenced tenor tone, with Tyner often temporarily (and generously) dropping out so that the saxophonist can develop freer melodic patterns over the bass and drums. "Impressions" taken virtually at Tyner's late employer John Coltrane's tempo does achieve a special ignition, driven hard by Taylor, with some exploration of multiphonics by an inspired Grossman. Otherwise, a mostly solid live session of post-bop.By Richard S.Ginell http://www.allmusic.com/album/in-new-york-mw0000627313

Personnel: Steve Grossman (tenor saxophone); McCoy Tyner (piano); Avery Sharpe (bass); Art Taylor (drums).

In New York

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Steve Grossman - Do It

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 58:44
Size: 94,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:59)  1. Cherokee
(6:53)  2. Let's Call This
(7:13)  3. I'll Keep Loving You
(6:14)  4. Let's Monk
(9:16)  5. The More I See You
(7:00)  6. Oblivion
(4:38)  7. Dance Of The Infidels
(7:35)  8. Soultrane
(3:54)  9. Chi Chi

Saxophonist Steve Grossman hasn't been a regular on the New York scene for many years but a crash  course sampling of the many sessions he has recorded with the likes of Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Barry Harris and Michel Petrucciani for starters as well as under his name as a soloist and with his own groups shows how much excellent playing he has under his belt. And soon there will be those sets this Brooklyn born, Long Island bred musician will be doing with the Al Foster Quartet at The Kitano performances that will offer a chance to hear how he sounds live these days. So where's he been all this time? South America (where he picked up his penchant for Latin-influenced music, check out 1977's Brazil with trumpeter Marcio Montarroyos and Stone Alliance, featuring Grossman with bassist Gene Perla and percussionist Don Alias), Europe, Japan, you name it. He has also lived in a lot of places outside the United States, especially in Italy: "I started in Amsterdam and basically kept moving south."

"But what you really want to know is what was it like to be handpicked by Miles? Scary. I was very young, I started recording with him when I was 18. It was pretty scary to play with Miles Davis, and I'm just getting out of high school really. "Some people obviously told him about me and he started showing up at gigs I was doing. Then I got the call and I started making all these things. That was right after Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1969). One day it would be me... One day it would be Wayne Shorter... And then he asked me to go with him. I think it was 1969 or 1970."

Grossman remembers Miles was colorful and not just onstage. "I was playing one Sunday in this club, I don't remember [which] and that's when he came down and he showed me these four bullet holes in his Ferrari when they took his instruments in Bedford-Stuyvesant, because he didn't want Kenny Dorham to open for him... Me and Dave Liebman had a double quartet kind of thing, two tenors, one pianist, two basses and two drummers. Miles asked me to come out and see the Ferrari; he'd had this problem in Brooklyn at some club, they kept all his instruments; it was some kind of Mafia thing. They put four bullet holes in his red Ferrari." "I think there was another time at the Village Gate. It was Miles opposite Monk. There were a lot of people backstage like Woody Shaw, Lee Morgan." Heady times, but this is now. "You have to go forward," says Grossman, adding "I never thought I'd make it to this age. When I was 25 I looked older than I do now."

Born in 1951, he's 57. As this interview was conducted by telephone he lives in Bologna, Italy there are no visual clues. So it's impossible to know if that perception is correct. Have to take his word for it. Over the phone, though, his voice is particularly distinct. It sounds gravelly, much lived-in, like that of a person who is waking up. How his other "voice" that famous tenor expresses itself will have to wait for that gig with Miles alumni Al Foster. But a hint of what's to come perhaps can be gleaned from those many fine recordings (check out Do It (Dreyfus, 1993), with Barry Harris, Reggie Johnson and Art Taylor which Grossman says he especially likes, the Stone Alliance recordings or his 1991 Steve Grossman, In New York album (Dreyfus, 1991) with McCoy Tyner, Avery Sharpe and Art Taylor) and that past of his much storied youth to which it seems natural to seesaw back to from time to time.

"I was trying to see what Coltrane was doing in the '60s. I still am. To me, he covered it. He was a very big influence on me. You know, since I was 15, 16. Even earlier, when I was 10, 11. I started with Charlie Parker when I was about eight. I started to play alto saxophone then. I had an older brother [now deceased] and we started listening at about the same time. I guess it was through him and an uncle I had who got me my first records. I became a Bird freak." So the trajectory of his musical life was set early. He played a little baseball with kids he grew up with, but music took over. "I used to play with guys much older than me. And now, I'm the oldest." He laughs. Things "turn around."

Speaking of younger musicians, one thing he'll do while here in New York is hear some of the local talent; perhaps he'll find people he'll want to play with down the road. A priority is visiting family, his 86 year old father, his younger brother and his niece. He's been back and forth for recordings but the last time he did a live gig in New York was "probably in the early or mid '90s." So catch him now. ~ Laurel Gross  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/steve-grossman-steve-grossman-by-laurel-gross.php

Do It

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Steve Grossman & Harold Land - I'm Confessin'

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:14
Size: 115,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:27)  1. Vierd Blues
(7:43)  2. Circus
(5:47)  3. I'm Confessin'
(6:22)  4. Sandrow
(8:01)  5. Born to Be Blue
(8:48)  6. Let's Cool One
(7:05)  7. San Francisco Holiday

?I'm Confessin' finds adventurous Chi-town tenor man Steve Grossman pairing up with journeyman jazz legend Harold Land on a muscular set of standards and originals. This a no nonsense but eminently cerebral outing that makes the most of the two leads' knack for inventive, angular, and energetic improvisation. To these ends they dive headlong into the midtempo blues swinger "Vierd Blues," race each other to the finish line on the burning Grossman original "Sandrow," and play it cool on Thelonious Monk's "Let's Cool One"." Individually, they both get a chance to shine with Grossman nailing down the title track and Land holding down the afterglow hours on the ballad "Born to Be Blue"." Joining in the fun are pianist Fred Henke, bassist Reggie Johnson, and drummer Jimmy Cobb. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/im-confessin-mw0000747079

Personnel: Steve Grossman (tenor saxophone); Fred Henke (piano); Reggie Johnson (bass instrument); Jimmy Cobb (drums).

I'm Confessin'

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Steve Grossman - Time to Smile

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:14
Size: 139,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:25)  1. 415 Central Park West
(7:03)  2. Circus
(8:42)  3. I'm Confessin'
(6:48)  4. Extemporaneous
(7:47)  5. This Time the Dream's On Me
(8:39)  6. Time to Smile
(5:49)  7. Till There Was You
(7:57)  8. E. J.'s Blues

This outing is one of tenor-saxophonist Steve Grossman's finest recordings to date. He has mixed together the almost equal influences of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins to achieve his own style and sound. The program is quite strong with its superior yet generally underplayed standards joined by two of the leader's originals, Elvin Jones's "E.J.'s Blues" and Freddie Redd's "Time to Smile"; also the lineup of musicians would be difficult to top. Pianist Willie Pickens shows a lot of versatility on the hard bop-oriented music, trumpeter Tom Harrell (who is on around half of the tracks) is as fiery and alert as usual, bassist Cecil McBee has a strong musical personality that comes across even when restricted to accompanying the soloists, and drummer Elvin Jones remains in prime form. The main focus however is mostly on Grossman and he continues to grow as an improviser year-by-year. Highly recommended.By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/time-to-smile-mw0000181523

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone – Steve Grossman; Bass – Cecil McBee; Drums – Elvin Jones; Piano – Willy Pickens; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Tom Harrell

Time to Smile

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Steve Grossman - Perspective

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:45
Size: 93,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:25)  1. Creepin'
(5:26)  2. Arfonk
(5:15)  3. Pastel
(4:26)  4. The Crunchies
(5:42)  5. Olha Graciela
(7:59)  6. King Tut
(6:28)  7. Katonah

For many, the electric jazz scene of the late '70s was a tired thing, steeped equally in fusion and disco. That was the common feeling at the time, though many groups like Weather Report were enjoying massive commercial success. In the 21st century, the conventional wisdom is being turned on its head by many of the beat collectors and younger jazz listeners encountering some of music of the era for the first time. Saxophonist Steve Grossman's Perspective is an excellent case in point. Released in 1979 on Atlantic, this set features the great tenor saxophonist in an electric setting with some killer sidemen including guitarist Buzzy Feiten, bassist Mark Egan, pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs, drummer Steve Jordan, percussionists Sammy Figueroa, and Raphael Cruz. Guest players include the great Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi, drummer Victor Lewis, guitarist Barry Finnerty, bassist Marcus Miller, and drummer Lenny White, to mention a few. These seven tracks are united by one thing: the enormous sound of Grossman's Sonny Rollins-meets-John Coltrane-influenced tone on tenor. While the record kicks off on the easy side of jazz-funk with "Creepin'," it contains some knotty acoustic piano from Gumbs and some tastefully elegant playing by Feiten. 

Grossman's stating of the theme is economical but emotive. The Latin groove that commences in the bridge is a surprise and moves the cut through his boisterous solo. "Arfonk" is on the edgier side of jazz-funk with a great breakbeat drum intro by White, who also does an impressive bit of counterpoint on the bongos. The fat guitars play call and response with Grossman, who gets up into the high register on the horn and lets loose against the simple riff. There are touches of fusion, but it never leaves the realm of jazz-funk entirely. Beautiful Fender Rhodes work by Gumbs adds rich color and texture, not to mention Egan's killer, popping bass work. "Pastel" features Kikuchi on acoustic piano, and this tune is pure, languid, gorgeous, communicative jazz with an excellent rapport in terms of lyricism between the pianist and Grossman. The set closes with the Eastern-cum-Latin-tinged "Katonah" with Finnertyon guitars, creating a wide palette of chord forms for Grossman to solo off of, eight bars from the intro. Egan is uncanny here on his bass, inventive and rhythmically guiding the entire band. The adrenaline-fueled breaks by Jordan as he double times Egan and Grossman are among the toughest of his long career. Ultimately, this set more closely resembles the work Grossman did with Stone Alliance than it does his later excellent Way Out East dates, but this set has stood the test of time remarkably well; its reissue on Wounded Bird in 2009 goes one step further in putting down the myth that electric jazz in the late '70s almost killed the music off in the days before Wynton Marsalis took it retro.~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/perspective-mw0001737028

Personnel:  Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Steve Grossman;   Bass – Marcus Miller, Mark Egan;  Congas – Sammy Figueroa;  Drums – Steve Jordan, Victor V. Lewis;  Drums, Bongos – Lenny White;   Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – Barry Finnerty, Howard"Bugzy"Feiten;  Piano [Acoustic, Fender Rhodes] – Onaje Allan Gumbs;  Piano [Acoustic] – Masabumi Kikuchi 

Perspective

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Newropean Quartet, Danilo Memoli Trio, Steve Grossman - Time On My Hands

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:29
Size: 152.2 MB
Styles: Traditional jazz combo
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:22] 1. Time On My Hands
[5:32] 2. Too Marvellous For Words
[7:29] 3. Autumn In New York
[6:08] 4. Tenderly
[7:16] 5. Change Partners
[5:16] 6. Laura
[7:00] 7. But Not For Me
[5:35] 8. Serenade In Blue
[6:45] 9. Manhattan
[6:11] 10. You Go To My Head
[3:51] 11. September In The Rain

Luciano Cavalieri, executive producer of this cd, contacted me one night - after listening to a Newropean Quartet performance - and asked me to record an album based on a series of standards which he particularly loved, letting me have complete freedom on the choice of the musicians involved (which almost entirely reflects the Newropean, but with Mauro Beggio on drums and with Steve Grossman - on three tunes - instead of Ralph Reichert, co-leader of the NQ; the bassist is Stefano Senni).

Luciano - a great jazz fan and connoisseur, with a collection of records and videos that many would envy... not only in Italy - came up with a list of eleven tunes that simply represent an organic overview of the beautiful american songbook, most of which are part of the repertoire of all the major interpreters in the history of jazz. After some personal re-harmonization and a few simple arrangements, our rendition of these wonderful tunes produced the results now in your hands.

Time On My Hands mc
Time On My Hands zippy

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Steve Grossman, Cedar Walton Trio - A Small Hotel

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:25
Size: 142.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[6:06] 1. Why Don't I
[7:30] 2. Body And Soul
[6:20] 3. There's A Small Hotel
[7:45] 4. Let's Cool One
[5:34] 5. Ceora
[5:15] 6. Someday My Prince Will Come
[5:58] 7. Blues For Francis
[8:34] 8. Nicoletta
[5:40] 9. Lady Bird
[3:38] 10. Monk's Mood

Bass – David Williams; Drums – Billy Higgins; Piano – Cedar Walton; Tenor Saxophone – Steve Grossman. Recorded March 4, 6, 1993 at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs.

Saxophonist Steve Grossman hasn't been a regular on the New York scene for many years but a crash  course sampling of the many sessions he has recorded with the likes of Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Barry Harris and Michel Petrucciani for starters as well as under his name as a soloist and with his own groups shows how much excellent playing he has under his belt.

A Small Hotel

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Johnny Griffin & Steve Grossman Quintet - Take The D Train

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:46
Size: 127.7 MB
Styles: Post bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[8:06] 1. Take The D Train
[4:47] 2. Waltzswing
[6:07] 3. Don't Say Goodbye (Just Leave)
[6:18] 4. Nica's Tempo
[7:04] 5. Power Station
[5:07] 6. Little Pugie
[6:12] 7. You've Never Been There!
[6:00] 8. This Time The Dream's On Me
[6:01] 9. Taurus People

Johnny Griffin & Steve Grossman Quintet is a co-led, jamming collection of nine songs that projects the legendary hard bop style of tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin and the ability of Steve Grossman to fuse his brand of tenor and soprano saxophone excellence, forming a cohesive, impressive set. While each player has developed a reputation for his "blowing sessions," this self-titled CD retains its complementary nature in much the same manner as those that featured Griffin with Hank Mobley or, more recently, with the highly talented tenor saxophonist Ron Blake on Up Front & Personal. Drummer Alvin Queen opens with commanding hard bop responses to the saxophonists on "Take the D Train," before launching into a great solo that is anything but recycled. The duo swings into "Waltzswing," the bop anthem penned by Griffin, and offers a very entertaining improvisation of Griffin's best-known tune. His ballad "Don't Say Good-Bye (Just Leave)" spotlights Griffin's mellow side, while "Power Station," written by pianist Michael Weiss, offers the two-horn approach a tandem concept with more improvisational variety than expected. The quintet does an excellent cover written by former Jazz Lab Quintet altoist Gigi Gryce titled "Nica's Tempo," with superb solos from both Pierre Michelot and Weiss. The mellow bass voicing by Michelot underscores this team very well and, overall, this hard bop set has its strong moments. Despite the trade-offs being more relaxed than many of Griffin's more powerful blowouts, this quintet still plays a great set! ~Paula Edelstein

Take The D Train

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Martin Sasse Trio & Steve Grossman - Take The 'D' Train

Size: 138,7 MB
Time: 59:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Angelica (6:19)
02. In A Sentimental Mood (7:39)
03. Like Someone In Love (6:51)
04. New Moon (5:52)
05. Nicolette (8:21)
06. Stable Mates (6:12)
07. Take The Coltrane (5:38)
08. Take The 'D' Train (7:11)
09. Wabash (5:38)

The Cologne pianist Martin Sasse has evolved over the last 15 years the leading German mainstream pianists, what his latest recordings impressively demonstrate. Whether as a sensitive accompanist of singers or brass, as head of the piano trio or pianist in other formations - Sasse guarantees swing, emotion and high Difficulty. The saxophonist Steve Grossman has repeatedly invited in recent years as a guest star Sasse. The Americans living in Europe became known in 1970 as the successor to Wayne Shorter in Miles Davis' band internationally. Despite a series of remarkable shots of his career due to illness raised never expire as his playing skills deserve it. All the more gratifying that the tenor saxophonist shows here in good shape. His masterful ballads game impressed Ellington's "In A Sentimental Mood" as well as his composition "Nicolette" said Sasse congenially zuspielt him the musical balls. Drummer Joost van Schaik drives Benny Golson's "stablemates" skillfully ahead a little faster than usual. Grossman celebrates the catchy melody before Sasse lifts to an inspired improvisation that merges successful in bassist Henning Gailings short solo. Grossman is one of Ellington's "Take the Coltrane" rapidly and are Sasse as a template for its immensely swinging solo before Grossman himself enters a rousing improvisation river. The CD swings with Cannonball Adderley's "Wabash" to the end, again with good solos by Grossman and Sasse.
"Rollin '" is a trio recording under the direction of native Hanoverian drummer Dennis Frehse, who now lives after several years of training in USA in Japan and operates currently in the band of the Japanese saxophone legend Sadao Watanabe. This picture was taken in Tokyo. Even in this environment shows Sasse his qualities as a swinger, about when he first called "Deggen McBobben" the picks elegant Bouncing Beat by bassist Kengo Nakamura. The soulful ballads player Sasse comes in "You Taught My Heart To Sing" to light, pleasantly low-key accompanied by Nakamura and Frehse, or even in Coltrane's "Naima". The personable old fashioned swinging "Rosetta" is at the end of this successful recording. ~online translation

Take The 'D' Train    

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Steve Grossman - Way Out East Vol. 1

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:37
Size: 99.9 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1984/2010
Art: Front

[6:59] 1. Bye Bye Blackbird
[5:49] 2. On Green Dolphin Street
[4:21] 3. I'll Remember April
[4:50] 4. Taurus People
[7:02] 5. Star Eyes
[4:26] 6. There'll Never Be Another You
[4:01] 7. This Time The Dream On Me
[6:05] 8. Four

The first volume of Steve Grossman's two trio sessions, Way out East, with bassist Joony Booth and drummer Joe Chambers, exhibits the strong influence of Sonny Rollins, though the aura of John Coltrane is also present in his playing. The big-toned tenor saxophonist excels in this setting. Grossman's aggressive take of the opener, "Bye Bye Blackbird," falters slightly in places with some unnecessary reed squeaks, but overall it is a fine effort. Better are the flawless takes of such perennial favorites as "On Green Dolphin Street," "I'll Remember April," "Star Eyes," and Miles Davis' "Four." Chambers' strong percussion drives Grossman's first-rate original "Taurus People." Recommended. ~Ken Dryden

Way Out East Vol. 1

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Steve Grossman - Love Is The Thing

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:35
Size: 97,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. Naima
(5:29)  2. Easy To Love
(6:06)  3. My Old Flame
(6:02)  4. Easy Leaving
(6:34)  5. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(6:44)  6. 415 Central Park West
(6:21)  7. What's New

Although tenor saxophonist Steve Grossman's main influence by the 1980s was Sonny Rollins, this quartet set could be considered a tribute to John Coltrane. With inspiring support from pianist Cedar Walton, bassist David Williams and drummer Billy Higgins, Grossman interprets such ballads as "Naima," "Easy to Love," "Easy Living" and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," but is careful to vary the tempos and moods; he also contributes an original, "415 Central Park West." Excellent modern mainstream music from a fine tenorman. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-is-the-thing-mw0000087102

Personnel: Steve Grossman (tenor saxophone), Cedar Walton (piano), David Williams (bass), Billy Higgins (drums).

Love Is The Thing

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