Michael Jefry Stevens latest recording releases include
“The Innocence of Spring” (live duo concert with saxophonist Don Aliquo)
and The Mountain Chamber Jazz Ensemble’s “The Poet is in the House.”
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MEDIA ALERT
The music of Michael Jefry Stevens is well documented on over 100 recordings over the past 30 years. The Fonda/Stevens Group (Joe Fonda) has been together for close to 30 years. Conference Call Quartet with Gebhard Ullmann will be together 25 years in 2020. The Eastern Boundary Quartet which features Hungarian master musicians Mihaly Borbely and Balazs Bagyi has been together for over a decade. Other recent collaborations have included the Generations Quartet with Oliver Lake as well as the Core-tet with Dame Evelyn Glennie.
THE MOUNTAIN CHAMBER JAZZ ENSEMBLE
Debut recording of The Mountain Chamber Jazz Ensemble featuring:
Christian Howes, Candace English, Anya Yarbrough, Brigid Hopkins, Bill Berg, Jason DeCristofaro, Doran Heck, Frank Southecorvo, Jason Moore, Charles Elliot, Katie Cilluffo, Justice Mann, Michael Jefry Stevens, Bill Fouty, Danny Iannucci.
ALBUM ARC-0774:
STREET DATE:
November 1, 2019
LABEL:
ARC (Artists Recording Collective)
The Mountain Chamber Jazz Ensemble is a hybrid ensemble consisting of a string section (violin, viola, cello, contrabass), a percussion section (drums set, percussionist, vibraphone and piano), a brass section (trombone and trumpet) and a woodwind section (clarinet, flute, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, alto saxophone). This ensemble utilizes elements from jazz, classical, rock, Latin and other music. The music is primarily acoustic and, while the group normally consists of 8 – 15 instrumentalists, the vocal aspect of the music is equally or even more important to the overall aesthetic of the ensemble. There is equal weight given to the two main facets of this music: the composed material and the improvisational sections. The textures vary greatly between compositions. When the strings predominate one immediately notes the classical music influence. When the horns solo (individually or in a group), there is a distinct jazz influence in the music. When the percussion section is featured the music can range from a Latin feel to a rock or funky feel.
The main soloists on the recording include Christian Howes (violin), Frank Southecorvo (saxes) and Michael Jefry Stevens (piano).
WITH SAXOPHONIST DON ALIQUO
ANNOUNCING “The Innocence of Spring”
BY Don Aliquo + Michael Jefry Stevens Live at Hinton Hall
ALBUM ARC-0736:
(Live at Hinton Hall)
STREET DATE:
August 1, 2019
LABEL:
ARC (Artists Recording Collective)
Recorded live at Middle Tennessee State University’s Hinton Hall, the release of The Innocence of Spring brings together two veterans of the US jazz scene in saxophonist Don Aliquo and pianist Michael Jefry Stevens.
In a live performance of raw improvisational clarity and sensitivity, inspiration from the jazz greats of years gone past is evident.
Not just in the modern, bebop, post-bop sound, but in the choice of Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington tracks which enclose 7 original compositions.
On saxophone, Aliquo’s playing – “smooth as silk…with an unfailing feel for breath and phrasing” (All About Jazz) – combines delightfully with that of Michael Jefry Stevens, described by Cadence Jazz Magazine as “a sensitive pianist who ekes out droplets of sparkling gems or volumes of rushing waves…”
In an era where albums are often carefully constructed in a studio, this is a rare opportunity to hear two master improvisors at work live, complete with clapping, laughing & cheering from the audience at Hinton Hall.
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PRESS QUOTES
The music of Michael Jefry Stevens has been extensively recorded and reviewed.
Here are some quotes from various media and press:
“Stevens’ melodic sensibility shines through even the most free moments …”
John Sharpe, NYC Jazz Record
“Stevens probably does his most profound work as a composer … compositions flirt with intertwining Jazz, Blues, so-called classical and band music without fully plunging into the Third Stream.”
Budd Kopman, All About Jazz
“The continuous changes of mood and texture, from rhapsodic to Dadaist to wistful, are stunning, and only broken when the listener has to change CDs …”
Nathan Turk, Signal to Noise
“Stevens’ compositions apply the brass in a few different ways … strategies that feel closer to classical experiments … puts the horns in a slow, reverent mood — think of the closing credits to a film, with some piano in a jazz “color” to brighten the scene … What’s surprising is the quietude that lingers …”
Wedge Radio, KZSU-FM, Stanford University
“Anyone remotely interested “creative improvised music” (aka jazz) that intersects with the Classical aesthetic should take the time to listen closely to pianist Michael Jefry Stevens’ latest release Brass Tactics. Stevens is a thinking man’s player mostly known for his work in The Fonda/Stevens Group (see Folk Five) and Conference Call, as well as leading his own groups …”
Budd Kopman, All About Jazz
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