Chip Stephens Trio: Relevancy

Capri Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Relevancy

Every time I turn around, a swinging new trio has entered the jazz stage (and I wouldn’t have it any other way!). One of the newest is this pleasant combo led by pianist, composer and arranger Chip Stephens. He’s well known in the jazz world, having played with iconic groups associated with Glenn Miller, Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller and many others.

All told, Stephens has recorded as a sideman on more than 70 albums. As it happens, I reviewed him on Fuller’s 2010 release, I Will Tell Her; I was impressed then, and even more so here, with Stephens fronting his own trio.

Like many of today’s jazz musicians, Stephens also is a teacher — currently at the University of Illinois — with more than 15 years’ experience at the college level. He maintains a full schedule of performance and teaching.

Bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Joel Spencer provide Stephens with excellent support on this release, which includes three of his own compositions: “Somewhere Before the End,” “A Day in May” and “Chip’s Blues.” The trio also puts its stamp on “34 Skidoo,” one of Bill Evans’ charts; Rogers and Hart’s  seldom-heard “This Funny World”; and Sammy Cahn and Nicholas Brodzsky’s “Be My Love,” which Mario Lanza made famous. 

Just in passing, I never expected the latter to be done in a jazz mode.  

All the tracks are delightful, done with harmonic variations and chord changes that give them new lives. My favorite is “Chip’s Blues,” a catchy, groovin’ 12-bar piece that is impossible to hear without swingin’ in time to the melody.

Stephens is one hell of a pianist, and this unit is a “must listen to” group!

Jim McNeely/Kelly Sill/Joel Spencer: Boneyard

Origin Arts
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 3.5.09
Buy CD: Boneyard

Pianist Jim McNeely, bassist Kelly Sill and drummer Joel Spencer are well-known musicians who began their careers in the Chicago area.

They first met during the 1970s, but as members of other groups. All have played with literally dozens of name organizations: McNeely with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis big band, Stan Getz and Phil Woods; Sill with Hank Jones, Don Menza and Clark Terry; and Spencer with Count Basie, Wynton Marsalis and Scott Hamilton.

McNeely earned nine Grammy Award nominations from 1997 through 2006, and serves on the faculties of both the Manhattan School of Music and William Paterson University. Sill, a graduate of the University of Illinois, is involved in jazz festivals within and outside of the United States, as is Spencer.

All are “first call” artists for commercial radio, TV and movie soundtracks.

Two of this album's tunes were written by McNeely, and two by Sill; the rest are jazz standards by Kurt Weill, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Wayne Shorter and Bob Hilliard/David Mann. McNeely handled all the arrangements.

All are beautifully done: Your attention will be riveted to the music, and that's a major accomplishment in a trio setting. These are first-class artists, and they've produced an CD you'll want to play again and again.