Jeremy Steig

[Late]

To start, here's a thread on Steig's Firefly.

I'm listening to Steig's Wayfaring Stranger for the first time as I type this, and it's a lot better than I expected. I'm actually surprised that Cuscuna hasn't chosen this one for reissue yet. I think it would actually make a good RVG! Though certainly more "laid back," it makes me think at times of Odyssey of Iska.

I don't know much about Steig except that he was William Steig's son. Did he make a second Blue Note date? Eddie Gomez is perfect for the setting on Wayfaring Stranger. Warmly recommended (— so far. I haven't yet finished the debut listen!).

[The Rep]

The first time I came across Jeremy Steig was on Art Farmers album "Crawl Space". This album is just amazing, Farmer and Steig play funk and yet it is still pure jazz. I still get this album out and give it a play every few weeks. I then bought Jeremy Steigs "Firefly". I shall look up "Wayfaring Stranger"

Cheers Ray

[bertrand]

Which Steig album(s) does Joe Chambers appear on?

Thanks,

Bertrand.

[K1969]

I love his LP on capitol called Energy. The title says it all.

[Guest donald petersen]

"energy" is really good. on par if not better than "wayfaring stranger". i just discovered that there might be a LLRC or something CD out there containing the "energy" material plus more. calling "something else" maybe?

i do not think "crawl space" is very good.

steig is on that new world joe chambers album, if i remember right. maybe paul metzke is also on it? i don't remember much. i have it in my LP collection somewhere.

"monium" is also pretty good with gomez and marty morell, i think? that one is a steig album.

i also have an inner city ray mantilla LP with steig on it, if i remember right. though i can't recall anyone else on that one. maybe ratzo harris?

[mikeweil]

Which Steig album(s) does Joe Chambers appear on?

Thanks,

Bertrand.

"Lend me Your Ears", recorded in 1978 for the German CMP label.

Steig, Gomez, and Chambers.

[mikeweil]

Just remembered that there was a Ray Mantilla LP on Inner City with Steig, Gomez, and Chambers. Austrian Karl Ratzer played guitar.

[Guest donald petersen]

ah i thought that one had ratzo harris. but my memory was off-carl ratzer....

[mikeweil]

Did he make a second Blue Note date?

Wayfaring Stranger actually was the third, so to speak. It was produced by Sonny Lester to be issued on Solid State, but that label was acquired by United Artists who used Blue Note as their jazz label.

The Sonny Lester produced LPs were:

This Is Jeremy Steig - Solid State SS 18059

Steig, Warren Bernhardt, Glen Moore, Donald MacDonald

Legwork - Solid State - SS 18068

Steig, Sam Brown, Gomez, Don Alias

Wayfaring Stranger - Blue Note BST-84354

Steig, Sam Brown, Gomez, Alias

Fusion (2 LPs) - Capitol, then Groove Merchant

Steig, Jan Hammer, Gomez or Gene Perla, Alias

Edited April 24, 2007 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

Steig, Bernhardt, and MacDonald also played on Mike Mainieri's second LP for Solid Sate, Journey Through An Electric Tube.

[Late]

The Sonny Lester produced LPs were:

This Is Jeremy Steig - Solid State SS 18059

Steig, Warren Bernhardt, Glen Moore, Donald MacDonald

Legwork - Solid State - SS 18068

Steig, Sam Brown, Gomez, Don Alias

Wayfaring Stranger - Blue Note BST-84354

Steig, Sam Brown, Gomez, Alias

Fusion (2 LPs) - Capitol, then Groove Merchant

Steig, Jan Hammer, Gomez or Gene Perla, Alias

Hmmm ... is the work solid enough to become a Mosaic Select? If it's all on a par with Wayfaring Stranger, or close to it, I'd be in. Heck, if we can have a Freddie Slack Mosaic Select ...

Edited April 24, 2007 by Late

[Chuck Nessa]

Sorry to say nothing after the initial Columbia lp caught my attention.

Not saying this is "right", just my impression "in real time".

[brownie]

Yes, that Columbia album 'Flute Fever' with Denny Zeitlin, Ben Tucker and Ben Riley was an earcatcher. Can't remember anything else from Steig that caught my ears.

Even the Verve album 'What's New' with the Bill Evans trio had nothing really new!

[mikeweil]

I personally think that the Sonny Lester sessions would justify a Mosaic Select - some of the best free form fusion there was.

Agree with Chuck about everything after them - I have most of the stuff he recorded for German labels, but he didn't grow any further, it seems.

Edited April 25, 2007 by mikeweil

[garthsj]

Yes, that Columbia album 'Flute Fever' with Denny Zeitlin, Ben Tucker and Ben Riley was an earcatcher. Can't remember anything else from Steig that caught my ears.

Even the Verve album 'What's New' with the Bill Evans trio had nothing really new!

"Flute Fever" was/is such an amazing album that everything he did afterwards was such a letdown, particularly the album with Bill Evans. I have often wondered why he did not continue in the "straight ahead" mode, but veered off into that basically boring fusion "sound of the month" stuff? Also, a great mystery as to why "Flute Fever" has never been reissued in any form that I am aware of. (Corrections welcomed here). My only means of playing it now is on a home made cassette ... I don't even have a CDR!

[Guest donald petersen]

a lot of you all are being too anti-fusion. a lot of the steig stuff was a cut above-on par with the grossman material with some of the same musicians, imo. "wayfaring stranger" and "energy" for instance-nice funky but loose and occassionally deep grooves.

and even though it is a lame album in the overall holistic perspective of music ever made...firefly is good crappy disco funk, as i said in another thread. though reading interviews, steig doesn't agree.

i would like to find that googie coppola solo "air" joint on embryo.

[Larry Kart]

Haven't heard it since it came out, but Steig's playing on "Flute Fever" struck me as narcissistic doodling. It was like he had an idea ( or perhaps that should be an "idea") about how to gee-up jazz flute playing, but either jazz flute playing didn't particularly need that idea or too much of what Steig did stayed at the level of "Hey -- look at my idea." I recall a piece about Steig -- I think it was in The New Yorker of all places, either thanks to his old man's connection there or because the writer was a friend of his -- in which Steig complained bitterly about how producer John Hammond had virtually ignored him at the "Flute Fever" recording session in favor of Denny Zeitlin. "Excitable boy, they all said."

[K1969]

i would like to find that googie coppola solo "air" joint on embryo.

Sealed copy for you here. Nice LP worth picking up.

[DMP]

Always enjoyed "Flute Fever," although haven't heard it in years. It was scheduled for release from "Colectables" a couple of years ago, but never made it. Guess they were too busy mining the Paul Winter "Columbia" catalog...

[Late]

Good news — Cuscuna got back to me, and he said that he's "working on" a Connoisseur that will contain the "best" tracks from Wayfaring Stranger and Leg Work, as those dates were recorded on the same day. My guess is that the disc will get close to the 80 minute mark, and have to choose a track or two to lop off.

No date set yet, and it's not set in stone of course, but I thought I'd share the positive outlook.

[Guest donald petersen]

that lame-the fantasy route-lopping off songs.

i think other labels show you can sell a double disc for $14.99 so it must still be profitable.

thats like the same price as a regular conn disc.

[mike casinghino]

i e-mailed michael cuscuna quite a while ago and suggested a doubletime release of :

this is jeremy steig

legwork

wayfaring stranger

i agree with donald peterson, a best of is pretty lame. in that case, just release,wayfaring stranger, in it's entirety. this was the only one released in the blue note 4000 series.

the tracks on,wayfaring stranger:

in the beginning 8:14

mint tea 5:17

wayfaring stranger 10:54

waves 5:50

all is one 10:45

space 5:40

approx. 47 minutes(these times are all from the lp),would someone provide the same info for legwork. thanks.

[couw]

would someone provide the same info for legwork. thanks.

from this site:

Jeremy Steig - Legwork

A1 Howlin' For Judy (4:38)

A2 Permutations (8:00)

A3 Hot-Head (8:50)

B1 Alias (a li 'as) (4:18)

B2 Nardis (11:02)

B3 Piece Of Freedom (6:02)

TT 42:50

Edited May 19, 2007 by couw

[Late]

My guess is that we will see all of Wayfaring Stranger, with "bonus" tracks being from Leg Work. Then we wouldn't have a "best-of." Sometimes it's just a matter of diction.

Regardless, I hope the project comes to fruition — that's better than not having anything!

[mike casinghino]

i don't believe that there has been any blue note 4000 series recording only released as part of a "best of" cd. it would seem odd to start doing that now. if it does come down to your guess,all of wayfaring stranger, and bonus tracks from legwork, i'd take that in an instant. though i still think my "doubletime" idea is the way to go.