Steffen Kuehn - Leap Of Faith (2016)

2016-06-23T12:13:53Z

Steffen Kuehn - Leap Of Faith (2016)


01. Who Knew [5:34]
02. Leap Of Faith [5:03]
03. Geraldine [7:54]
04. Storm (feat. Bob Mintzer) [2:52]
05. Serenity [2:39]
06. Helen's Song [6:39]
07. Now Is The Time (feat. Marc Russo) [5:17]
08. Lanechange [3:32]
09. Above The Fold [4:51]
10. Vivienne And Simone's Lullaby [4:48]

Steffen Kuehn - trumpet and flugelhorn
Tommy Igoe – drums
Dewayne Pate – bass
Drew Zingg – guitar
Colin Hogan - piano and keyboard
John Gove –trombone
Tom E. Politzer - tenor sax
Marc Russo - alto sax
Javier Cabanillas - congas, percussion
Omar Ledezma Jr. – timbals
Braulio Barrera – bongos
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Bob Mintzer – saxophone
Wouter Kellerman – flute
Pete Cornell – flute
Christian Tumalan – keyboard, piano
Aaron Lington – saxophone, clarinet
Alexa Weber Morales - vocals

Hi, My name is Steffen Kuehn and I am a trumpeter from the San Francisco Bay Area.

I won a Grammy® in 2014 for Best Tropical Latin Album with the Pacific Mambo Orchestra, a Latin Big Band that I co-founded in 2010. It was an Independent release and our debut album and we managed to beat Marc Anthony, who was in our same category - that really showed me that everything was possible!

This new album of mine lives, stylistically speaking, somewhere in between Contemporary Jazz, Jazz, Latin and R&B, which reflects the music I love to listen to and the music I play. I wrote the music on this album over the course of the last 2 years and, in my opinion, reflects the journey I've been on since the Grammy® win. I started this new musical endeavor in November 2015 with the first recording session at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA, - a magical place for me as it turned out. The spirit of countless classic recordings roams in the recording studios and the control booth, I'm not kidding.........

The most valuable thing I learned from my Grammy® win, was that the most important work starts (and continues) after the actual release of the record. What good does the best recording do, if no one knows about it?

That brings me to the heart of this campaign: I am raising funds for the back-end of this release, which means hiring a Publicist, who will get me interviews, magazine reviews and will generally expose my music to a wide audience and a Radio Promoter, who will pitch my music to Radio Stations (FM, Digital etc.) to get my music heard. It's simple: The more funds I can raise, the farther I can take the promotion of this recording!

This recording 'Leap Of Faith' is very close to me for several reasons:

1) It is played by 'real' musicians - no loops or technical 'gimmicks' were used!

2) 8 out of 10 tunes are original compositions and arrangements of mine, so with your pledge you are supporting the craft of Writing, Arranging and Improvisation

3) Close Attention was being paid to outstanding Studio Production, like recording with the best microphones in some of the best studios/rooms in the world - mixing is being done by multiple Grammy® award winning engineers. ---Steffen Kuehn, indiegogo.com

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Steffen Kuehn Nonet - Now Or Later (2002)

2016-06-28T12:49:28Z

Steffen Kuehn Nonet - Now Or Later (2002)


1.Now or Later
2.Juno’s Eyes
3.Freedomland
4.Not in Austria
5.Rest Revised
6.So Far Away
7.Oleo
8.Forced FN
9.Ruby, My Dear
19.Try to C#

Steffen Kuehn, trumpet, flugelhorn; 
Dave Scott, Terry Russell, trumpet; 
Alex Budman, alto, soprano sax, bass clarinet, flute; 
Alex Murzyn, tenor sax, clarinet, flute; 
Pete Cornell, baritone, soprano sax, flute;
Jonathan Alford, piano; 
Mike Bacile, bass; 
Andrew Eberhard, drums; 
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Tim Hagans, trumpet.

As I was listening to trumpeter Steffen Kuehn's new album, Now or Later, two thoughts occurred: (1) these guys can really play, and (2) why am I not enjoying it more?

I think the answer to that second thought rests not so much on how Kuehn and his colleagues play as it does on what they are playing. This is what is known as post bop or contemporary, and while in this instance it is rhythmically strong, it is also—to define the issue as clearly as possible—melodically less than persuasive. Call me old-fashioned (others have) but there are no songs here (excepting Sonny Rollins' "Oleo and Monk's "Ruby, My Dear ) to beckon the ear or quicken the heart. Six of the compositions and all of the arrangements are by someone identified as W Roth, and none save perhaps the bright-eyed finale, "Try to C#, is, to me, of more than passing interest.

Having said that, the fact is that Kuehn, his sidemen and guest trumpeter Tim Hagans are high-caliber players who make the most of whatever is on their plate. The ensemble is shipshape, the rhythm section strong and supportive, and the solos, while hardly groundbreaking, are never less than effective (Kuehn is especially convincing on "Ruby, My Dear, while baritone Pete Cornell burns intensely on "C# ). Tenor saxophonist Alex Murzyn is featured on "Not in Austria, pianist Jonathan Alford on "So Far Away. Hagans frames a number of conclusive statements, most notably on "Oleo, "C#, and Russell Ferrante's "Freedomland.

The talent on offer speaks for itself, and other listeners may not have the problem I had with lyricism, or the lack thereof. A trim and assertive post bop session for those less hidebound than I. ---Jack Bowers, allaboutjazz.com

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