Emily Remler - Catwalk (1985)

Guitarist Emily Remler's fourth and Concord recording makes one regret even more her premature death at age 32. While her earlier dates were very much in the bop mainstream, this one (in a quartet with trumpeter John D'Earth, bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Bob Moses) finds her looking ahead and partly finding her own voice on her seven diverse originals. Although she never became an innovator, Remler certainly had a lot to offer the jazz world and this fairly adventurous effort was one of the finest recordings of her short career. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

Concord Jazz, CCD-4265, 1985

Recorded August, 1984 At Coast Recorders, San Francisco, California

Musicians:

Emily Remler - Guitar

John D'Earth - Trumpet

Eddie Gomez - Bass

Bob Moses - Percussion

Tracks:

1. Mocha Spice {Emily Remler} (4:30)

2. Catwalk {Emily Remler} (7:24)

3. Gwendolyn {Emily Remler} (4:40)

4. Antonio {Emily Remler} (4:29)

5. Pedals {Emily Remler} (6:58)

6. Five Years {Emily Remler} (5:53)

7. Mozambique {Emily Remler} (7:45)

Credits:

Producer - Carl E. Jefferson

Recording & Remixing Engineer - Phil Edwards

Mastering Engineer - George Horn

Photography - Veryl Oakland

Art Direction - Tom Burgess

Liner Notes - Nat Hentoff

Emily Remler - Why, oh why did the good Lord take this wonderfully talented young lady from us at such a young age. She was only 32 when she died. Remler didn't get to make many recordings in her all too brief life and this is one of her finest. John D'Earth's trumpet perfectly complements Remler's full bodied guitar sound and the rhythm section of Eddie Gomez and overlooked Bob Moses keep things moving along quite nicely. Well, if some of what I've read is true, I hardly think it was the good Lord who was sticking that needle in her arm. Although not credited as the cause of her death surely it didn't help. Remler had herself one hell of a heroin addiction and that drug usage was the direct cause of the heart attack that took her life. So, I guess the Good Lord didn't have much to do with it other than not answering her prayers. ~ Stereophile.com.

Steve Kuhn - Non-Fiction (1978) [vinyl>flac]

Steve Kuhn is the all-purpose element: his presence heightens any musical concoction. Like no jazz pianist I know, he is aware of the negative spaces between his notes and shapes those spaces to suit the emotional needs of the tune. And what a set of tunes we have in Non-Fiction, a sorely out-of-print firecracker in dire need of a digital fuse. Speaking of conflagration, nothing singes our brow in any Kuhn project quite like “Firewalk,” which, despite its characteristically spacious feel, is clear and present (I bow to the uncredited engineer on this one). Kuhn accolades aside, it’s the sopranism of reedman Steve Slagle that really sets these coals to glowing and cradles every assured step in the liberation of play. Bob Moses and Harvie Swartz - an ideally suited rhythm section if there ever was one - lock the “Random Thoughts” that follow into lively traction. Slagle opts for flute and alto sax over a constantly shifting sonic palette. Whenever he isn’t breathing, he keeps his hands busy with additional percussion. (Unfortunately, the latter comes across as intrusive to my ears during headphone listening. External speakers will remedy this.) “A Dance With The Wind” and “The Fruit Fly” reverse the scales with a collective dose of whimsy and nostalgia. Swartz is simply fantastic here, weaving deftly through Kuhn’s canvas of vamps with distinct yet harmonious brushstrokes of its own. If anything has been missing so far, we find it all collected in “Alias Dash Grapey,” which has it all: a sweeping piano intro, replete with unrestrained cries from Kuhn, a spirited collage of solos (Moses ever palpable), and a deep sense of communication.

This is a tight album with plenty to unpack through repeated listening. Its energies fluctuate in volume, but always to the beat of Kuhn’s erudite dictation. As worth tracking down on vinyl as it is waiting for an appearance on CD. ~ ECM Reviews

An interesting set of inside/outside music with a bit more energy than the more stereotypical ECM set, this set of five originals is performed by pianist Steve Kuhn (who was really developing his own original sound around this time), Steve Slagle (heard on alto, soprano and flute), bassist Harvie Swartz, and drummer Bob Moses. This is a fine release that was soon overshadowed by Kuhn's collaborations with singer Sheila Jordan. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

ECM Records, ECM 1124, 1978

Recorded April, 1978 at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg, Germany

Personnel:

Steve Kuhn - Piano, Percussion

Steve Slagle - Alto & Soprano Saxes, Flute, Percussion

Harvie Swartz - Bass

Bob Moses - Drums

Track Listing:

A1. Firewalk {Harvie Swartz} (7:54)

A2. Random Thoughts {Steve Kuhn} (8:03)

A3. A Dance With The Wind {Harvie Swartz} (5:43)

B1. The Fruit Fly {Steve Kuhn} (5:51)

B2. Alias Dash Grapey {Steve Kuhn} (11:49)

Credits:

Producer - Manfred Eicher

Layout - Barbara Wojirsch

Photography - Deborah Feingold

Cover Photo - Klaus Frahm