Giant Step Arts continues its Modern Masters and New Horizons series with the second album as a leader by vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu. Built In System (Live from New York) features Lu‘s original music performed by her stellar band with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, bassist Richie Goods and drummer Allan Mednard. The album is out October 6, 2023.
10 Emerging Jazz Artists To Watch in 2023” – Morgan Enos, Grammy.com
“A soulful modernist on the rise” – Dan Bilawsky, AllAboutJazz.com
Giant Step Arts launches its Modern Masters and New Horizons series with the first-ever live album as a leader from tenor saxophonist Mark Turner. Live at the Village Vanguard, out September 8, 2023, featured Turner with trumpeter Jason Palmer, bassist Joe Martin and drummer Jonathan Pinson.
“[Mark Turner is] a premier saxophonist, conceptual thinker and bandleader who plays a visionary role on today’s rapidly evolving, ever-expanding jazz scene.” – Ed Enright, DownBeat
“Light of tone and phenomenally agile, the sound of Mark Turner’s tenor saxophone is so beguiling that I’d happily listen to him playing from a book of exercises.” – Dave Gelly, The Guardian
Live at the Café Bohemia, the electrifying new album from the Leap Day Trio featuring drummer Matt Wilson, saxophonist Jeff Lederer and bassist Mimi Jones, is out February 24, 2023.
The album was recorded at the historic NYC jazz club to mark the venue’s reopening after nearly 60 years. The band celebrates the album at the club on February 10 & 11.
Giant Step Arts, helmed by photographer/engineer Jimmy Katz, releases two new live albums captured at the historic Seneca Village site in Central Park. The albums will be released on Juneteenth – June 19, 2022.
2nd – Burton/McPherson Trio featuring Dezron Douglas The Summit Rock Session at Seneca Village – feature vital concert performances
Event Horizon, available May 8, 2020,
“Michael Thomas is a badass. Anyone who doubts it should go to ‘Sax Intro,’ a four-minute cadenza with maniacal runs in towering arcs and torrents of scales upon scales. It sounds perhaps like an alto saxophone virtuoso practicing, except that Thomas shapes it all into a spontaneous symphony. Then, after this wild celebration of chops, he segues seamlessly into ‘Chant’ and into what this album is truly about: daring, in-depth collaborative ventures based on Thomas’ intelligent compositions, conducted by a formidable chordless quartet of trumpeter Jason Palmer, bassist Hans Glawischnig and drummer Johnathan Blake.” – Thomas Conrad, New York City Jazz Record
