Steve Elmer Jazz

The Steve Elmer Trio / Fire Down Below 

"In last month's issue, drummer Louis Bellson stated that the last major contribution to jazz was bebop.  If you are in agreement with that statement, you will be in heaven with Steve Elmer's Fire Down Below.  Pianist Elmer has imbibed from Bud Powell's well, and has come up with a bucket overflowing with some hard hitting and vibrant bop.  Elmer's touch is sharp and assertive, confident and clean.  On the Monkish pieces like "GA's Jambalaya" and "Sister Joan," he attacks the ivories with joy and insouciance.  The piano sounds like it's charging out of the gate at the derby on the steady galloping title piece and "Aaronology.  Elmer's Horace Silver-like touch on the tensile ballad "Lasting Love," is filled with resilient ringing notes.  All through this vivacious recording, Elmer's trio is running on all eight cylinders, with Shingo Okudaira's flexible drumming most apparent on "Big Chief Red Cloud."  This trio of Elmer, Okudaira and bassist Hide Tanaka has got a ton of energy and they use it to the fullest to the listener's delight.  Elmer's musical heart is in the right place.  His Fire Down Below has plenty."

                 All About Jazz - LA/Bay Area, June, 2008

"Fire Down Below is a new record from the Steve Elmer Trio.  The group is comprised of Steve Elmer (no surprise there), Hide Tanaka, and Shingo Okudaira.  They've been together since 2005 and released one record before this one called I Used To Be Anonymous.

"The music is gorgeous.  Maybe this sounds amateurish (I must admit I'm a novice in the jazz field) but the piano sounds like old Gershwin piano rolls, only much more energetic.  It's evident that the group placed genuine care into each track.  Each song is treated like the only song and you get wrapped up in each one like it's a novel you don't want to put down.  Even without lyrics you can feel the story behind the music.

"Okudaira's drumming is spot on.  The patterns he plays on the cymbals during "Silhouette" are phenomenal.  In fact, the drumming is brilliant on this entire recording.  Rolls and accents are outstanding but it's the cymbals that really stood out.  There's just some beautiful sticking on these songs.  The same can be said of the bass.  It struts underneath the proficient drums and the sparkling piano just to remind everyone of how cool the songs are.

"The title track, "Fire Down Below," is a frenetic showpiece of how well these three play together.  It's got a fast pace and nobody misses a beat.  The drum solo was an abosolute joy to hear; the piano progressions were outstanding; Tankaka must have worn his fingers out keeping the bass pace he did.  "Lasting Love" is the next track and it brings the tempo down, offering a relaxing and touching journey.

"It's an album to check out.  You'll be taken with it for a while."

            BlogCritics.Org, June 4, 2008

"Steve Elmer began his musical career as a drummer but at age 25 started taking piano lessons with the iconoclastic Lennie Tristano.  His playing is a conglameration of the percussive nature he learned from drumming and the various influences he absorbed from careful listening over the years.  He is an accomplished technician who seems more at ease on hard-driving compositions.  His phraseology slyly borrows from many sources without amounting to grand theft.  At times his sound is reminiscent of Monk, but with a more fluid sense of swing.  The clipped phrasing of his keyboard work is complemented nicely by a very tight, sympathetic rhythm secrion, which smoothly shaves off any burrs.  Hide Tanaka's bass produces an especially full round tone that is particularly well suited in contrast to Elmer's sharp and at times steely. sound.

"On "Sister Joan," Elmer's lead-in line evokes Monk's "Well, You Needn't," which to me always seems to brilliantly keep you wondering where he was going.  In contrast, Elmer's compositions have a comforting sense of direction, making his writing less groundbreaking, but he and his compatriots exectue with such polished presence that the finished product is both enjoyable and passionate.  Steve Elmer has been called the most anonymous pianist in New York.  With this offering, he may find himself at last discovered."

           Jazz.Com, "Sister Joan," Song of the Day, May 19, 2008

"On this second recorded outing for Steve Elmer's trio, the leader's composition "Fire Down Below" is an up-tempo romp.  His impressively brisk runs give you the feeling you are scurrying up and down a flight of stairs - perhaps to get more water.  Elmer is quite at home with single-note demonstrations and chordal shading as well.  Several times he duels with himself in solo calls and responses.  Tanaka and Okudaira are no slouch of a rhythm section, either.  At breakneck speeds, they control this firefighting emergency effort.  Tanaka turns the nozzle to maximum pressure for his featured spot.  Okudaira throws some more water into the cause with some heavy beats in between his perfectly paced cymbal work.  This was either a big fire or the guys just can't put it out.  Either way, the energy exerted and the taseful skill with which it is harnessed makes for some fine music."

           Jazz.Com, "Fire Down Below," May 19,2008. 

"This is a cat that likes to swing and he likes to swing so much that he has the brass to come with a set of originals just so he can come from nowhere and leave his fingerprints on the genre.  A cat that knows how it's done and knows his way around how to swing, he brings his cats with him and cracks the whip, but not as a meanikin.  Sometimes you need mor than reissues to stay interested and this is sure to get your ears perked up."  

           MidwestRecord.Com, May 16, 2008

"Completely original, this CD has enough music to keep me busy re-listening to it for months.  From the straight ahead swingers "Sister Joan" and "Aaronology" to the depth of "Lasting Love" and "Silhouette" to the highly charged "Constant Lee" and "Fire Down Below," as well as the other four selections, this is a musical statement that will stand the test of time as has other great piano trios.  Buy it and listen - but prepare to give it the time it deserves."

          CD Baby, May 1, 2008


The Steve Elmer Trio / I Used To Be Anonymous 

“I Used To Be Anonymous” by the Steve Elmer Trio is well-played and well-titled. Before Elmer sent this disc for review, he was certainly anonymous to me. I am usually wary of albums of originals, especially by players that I do not know. Well, here is a collection of originals that is wonderfully ear-catching. Elmer has swing in his blood and his compatriots are cut from the same cloth. It is always nice to find a new artist to enjoy, and such is the case with Steve Elmer."

Jersey Jazz Magazine

"The Steve Elmer Trio turns a number of catchy and melodic originals that serve as platforms for amiable swing. It’s the kind of thing you’d be delighted to hear at your local club. Elmer’s a likeable player favoring bright melodies but investing these with rhythmic snap and sensibility that is nicely varied. It’s really got the feel of a ‘50s Red Garland session or something of similar vintage. If you happen to spot this one, do give it a shot."

Cadence Magazine

"New York pianist Steve Elmer’s CD “I Used to Be Anonymous” features the pianist performing nine original compositions all dedicated to friends or artists who have inspired him. The trio plays with an easy familiarity and loose ensemble feel that compliments the compositions. Elmer’s playing throughout is in the pocket, cleverly harmonic, and solidly rhythmic. His solos feature nice block-chordish moments ala Erroll Garner while at other moments he swings in a manner reminiscent of artists like Bill Evans."

Jazz Review (jazzreview.com)

"Steve Elmer is not a well known name in jazz, at least until recently. He is, however, a solid pianist and fine composer. This trio swings at all tempos. Their joy is palpable. I look forward to their next recording. Throughout the disc Elmer remains true to his mantra Classic Jazz: Play the original song, improvise on the melody, harmony, and the form. Tell a story and make it swing one way or another."

Jazz Improv Magazine

"I liked the CD as a whole more than any particular cut. You know, usually I gotta hear one tune over and over when I first play a record. It’s only after I have that one song in my skin that I can get to the rest of the music; but not with the Elmer trio. I turn it on and it’s sixty minutes of a one song suite to me. Sometimes I play it all day long. Don’t get me wrong: the tunes are as different and distinct as they can be. Elmer is a composer who writes gorgeous stuff and the trio really breaks out, but every song is connected by Elmer’s definition of classic jazz. Play the original song, improvise on the melody, harmony, and the form. Tell a story and make it swing one way or another. In a word, the cat’s a real jazz musician."

Unlikely Stories (unlikelystories.org)

"This is the real thing, straight ahead swinging classic jazz. There are very few players who can invent like Steve Elmer, play long lines that make total sense, and swing like mad. The rapport in the rhythm section is a thing of beauty. This is jazz as it should be. Listen."

CD Baby Reviewer (cdbaby.com/cd/steveelmertrio)

"We think this one’s a quiet killer, a must have. One of the 10 best in 2006."

O’s Place Jazz Newsletter (osplacejazz.com)