Joe Castro: Lush Life: A Musical Journey

Billy Higgins | Joe Castro | Leroy Vinnegar | Stan Getz | Teddy Wilson | Ron Jefferson | Frank Rosolino | Bob Cooper | Zoot Sims | Buddy Collette

Those who’ve heard of Mexican- American pianist Castro (d. 2009) may associate him with two albums for Atlantic, one of...

Reviewed by Brian Priestley in issue: March/2016

Chris Byars: Two Fives

Chris Byars | John Mosca | Stefan Schatz | Ari Roland | Stefano Daglioni | Pasquale Grasso

Not being on SteepleChase’s mailing list, I’d never heard of Chris Byars before, but apparently he’s already had six albums...

Reviewed by Tony Hall in issue: March/2016

Lonnie Liston Smith: Reflections On A Golden Dream

Al Anderson | Leopoldo Fleming | Donald Smith | Lonnie Liston Smith | Guillherme Franco | David Hubbard | Wilby Fletcher

Arguably lacking some of the standout tracks of earlier releases such as Expansions, Astral Traveling and Visions Of A New...

Reviewed by Kevin Le Gendre in issue: March/2016

Cannonball Adderley Quintet: Complete Recordings

Grant Green | Horace Parlan | Stanley Turrentine | Paul Chambers | George Tucker | Art Taylor | Al Harewood | Tommy Flanagan

In the sleeve note, Adderley describes his music as “a lot of funk, a lot of gospel-sounding stuff and cute...

Reviewed by Mike Hobart in issue: February/2018

David Haney: Stix and Stones

Jimmy Benninton | Bernard Purdie | Han Bennink | Giovanni Barcella | Martin ‘Bugalu’ Smith | David Haney

This engaging collection of piano/drum duets spans more than a decade and pairs Fresno-born, Calgary-raised pianist David Haney with five...

Reviewed by Robert Shore in issue: March/2016

Dave McDonnell Group: The Time Inside a Year

On his debut for the cult Chicagoan label, the cutting edge alto saxophonist, in the company of locals Joshua Abrams,...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: March/2016

Charles Rumback: In the New Year

Kansas-born, Chicago-based drummer’s band features the Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker and a spontaneous, freely interweaving frontline of saxophonist Caroline Davis...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: March/2016

Rusconi + Fred Frith: Live In Europe

Trummy Young | Bob McCracken | Sid Catlett | Marty Napoleon | Jack Teagarden | Cozy Cole | Barney Bigard | Louis Armstrong | Earl Hines | Arvell Shaw

Slippery little fish this one. Something between a stinky sprat and a red herring, if you must know. How often...

Reviewed by Spencer Grady in issue: February/2020

Bill Watrous: Coronary Trombossa!

If trombone gymnastics are your thing, this 1980 set, which Bill himself reckoned includes some of his best playing, is...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: March/2016

Charles Lloyd & The Marvels: I Long to See You

Bill Frisell | Norah Jones | Charles Lloyd | Willie Nelson | Reuben Rogers | Greg Leisz | Eric Harland

I Long to See You marks a change of pace for Charles Lloyd; there isn’t anything quite like it in...

Reviewed by Stuart Nicholson in issue: March/2016