VA - One Step to Chicago: The Legacy of Frank Teschemacher and the Austin High Gang (2022)

On July 31, 1992, more than 50 years after he conceived and produced the world’s first jazz album, legendary producer George Avakian brought three generations of jazz giants together in RCA’s New York studio to record the exciting music of Frank Teschemacher and the Austin High Gang. The morning session under the direction of Dick Hyman captured spirited note-for-note re-creations of famous Teschemacher records while the afternoon session directed by Kenny Davern focused on fresh, original interpretations of tunes associated with Tesch. When the expense of releasing the lavish production outpaced the available budget, the project was shelved, and the recordings went unheard. In time, they became the stuff of jazz legend. Now, 30 years later, Rivermont is pleased to present their premiere release, mastered from the original analog session tapes and supplemented by a deluxe 80-page hardback book with dozens of previously unpublished session photos and extensive commentary by Dan Levinson, Hank O’Neal, Hal Smith, and Marty Grosz. 14 tracks, 72 minutes.