| Steppenwolf | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 2002 | |||
| Recorded | March 1, 1999 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 72:44 | |||
| Label | Justin Time | |||
| Producer | Hamiet Bluiett | |||
| World Saxophone Quartet chronology | ||||
| ||||
Steppenwolf is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released by the Justin Time label. The album features a live performance by Hamiet Bluiett, John Purcell, Oliver Lake and David Murray and was recorded at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago on March 1, 1999. This was Purcell's final album with the group.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [2] |
The AllMusic review by David R. Adler awarded the album 4 stars, stating, "Bluiett's "Hattie Wall," the WSQ theme song, concludes the program with boogying showmanship. Recommended." [1]
The authors of the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings called the album "the one we would most strongly recommend," and wrote: "This was the night when Purcell finally sounded like a permanent and unmoveable component of the quartet." They described the quartet's performance of "Giant Steps" as "a career high-point." [2]
In a review for Jazz Times, Bill Bennett commented: "The word virtuoso comes to mind and quickly falls short of the mark in characterizing the ineffable totality of the World Saxophone Quartet... John Purcell... has brought stability and a creative spark to the chair vacated by Julius Hemphill a decade ago... The Quartet's rendering of Coltrane's 'Giant Steps'... asserts its claim to a very high spot in the ranks of collective improvisation." [3]
Jim Santella, writing for All About Jazz, remarked: "Each of the four artists has something vital to offer... Emotions run high throughout the performance, and their music has never sounded better. Highly recommended, this one is yet another thrilling episode from a superb unit." [4] Another AAJ reviewer wrote: "Steppenwolf offers a refreshing contrast to much of the quartet's studio work: it documents a live performance. For such a finely tuned machine, this change is akin to taking the Ferrari off the racetrack and setting it loose on the open road... Steppenwolf is a fine record indeed... most definitely up to the very high standards this group has set over the last quarter century." [5]
The World Saxophone Quartet is an American jazz ensemble founded in 1977, incorporating elements of free jazz, R&B, funk and South African jazz into their music.
Steppin' with the World Saxophone Quartet is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet, released on the Italian Black Saint label in 1979. The album features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake and David Murray.
Revue is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released on the Italian Black Saint label. The album features performances and compositions by Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake and David Murray.
W.S.Q. is a 1980 album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released on the Italian Black Saint label. The album features performances and compositions by Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake and David Murray.
Live in Zurich is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet recorded in 1981 and released on the Italian Black Saint label.
Dances and Ballads is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet, released in 1988 and featuring performances by Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake and David Murray.
Rhythm and Blues is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released on the Elektra label. The album features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake and David Murray and was first released in 1989.
Moving Right Along is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released in 1993 on the Italian Black Saint label.
Requiem for Julius is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released by the Justin Time label. The album features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, John Purcell, Oliver Lake and David Murray and is dedicated to the band's founding member Julius Hemphill.
Selim Sivad: The Music of Miles Davis is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released on the Canadian Justin Time label. The album features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, John Purcell, Oliver Lake and David Murray, with guests Jack DeJohnette, Chief Bey, Okyerema Asante, and Titos Sompa and is dedicated to Miles Davis.
Metamorphosis is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released in 1990 on the Elektra/Nonesuch label and features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, Arthur Blythe, Oliver Lake and David Murray with Chief Bey, Melvin Gibbs and Mor Thiam. It was the first album recorded by the group after the departure of foundation member Julius Hemphill and their first to feature additional musicians.
Four Now is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet, released by the Canadian Justin Time label. The album features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, John Purcell, Oliver Lake and David Murray, with guests Chief Bey, Mor Thiam, and Mar Gueye on African drums.
Takin' It 2 the Next Level is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released by the Canadian Justin Time label. The album features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, John Purcell, Oliver Lake and David Murray, with a rhythm section of Don Blackman, Calvin X Jones and Ronnie Burrage.
Experience is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released by the Canadian Justin Time label. The album features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, Oliver Lake, David Murray and Bruce Williams, with guests Craig Harris on trombone, Billy Bang on violin, Matthew Garrison on bass and Gene Lake on drums, and features the music of, and is dedicated to, Jimi Hendrix.
Political Blues is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released by the Canadian Justin Time label. The album features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, Jaleel Shaw, Oliver Lake and David Murray, with guests Craig Harris on trombone, Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, James "Blood" Ulmer on guitar, Jamaaladeen Tacuma on bass guitar, and Lee Pearson on drums.
25th Anniversary: The New Chapter is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released by the Canadian Justin Time label. The album features performances and compositions by Hamiet Bluiett, John Purcell, Oliver Lake and David Murray.
Point of No Return is the debut album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released on the Moers Music label in 1977.
M'Bizo is an album by American jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released by the Canadian Justin Time label. The album features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, John Purcell, Oliver Lake and David Murray, with guests Ronnie Burrage on drums, Mario Canonge and D. D. Jackson on pianos, Mabeleng Moholo on musical bow, Jimane Nelson on organ, and James Lewis and Jaribu Shahid on basses.
Breath of Life is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet. It was recorded in 1992 and released on the Elektra/Nonesuch label in 1994 and features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, Arthur Blythe, Oliver Lake and David Murray with Fontella Bass and a rhythm section.
Yes We Can is a live album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet. It features Hamiet Bluiett on baritone saxophone, James Carter on soprano and tenor saxophones, Kidd Jordan on alto saxophone, and David Murray on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet. The album was recorded on March 28, 2009, at Kino Babylon in Berlin, and was released in 2010 by Jazzwerkstatt.
