Stephen Riley - Friday the 13th (2020)

One of the frequently repeated ways to describe Riley is “What a special tone he has! Dark and dry with a lot of subtones. And very creative playing” (JJ – Sax on the web). It absolutely tells us how he sounds but another aspect of Riley’s uniqueness is in the way he treats his material (from the classic jazz standards and the Great American Songbook) in his – almost trademark – piano-less settings. Following the highly rated previous release SCCD 31882 Oleo by the two-horn quartet (sax and trumpet - Joe Magnarelli) Riley this time has invited the award-winning cornetist Kirk Knuffke to front the quartet.