Open Spaces

Whenever the right musicians get together at the right time and in the right place, the end result is almost always good music. Such is the case here in this first edition of a band called Spatial Edition, so named because of the way we all perceive the art of creating a musical community on the bandstand; and also because of the open spaciousness of both our approach to improvisation and the wonderful breadth of our repertoire. Jim Ridl is simply one of the finest pianists out there. His singular musical vision as player and composer is incredibly original and attractive. Steve Varner has all of those qualities associated with great bass playing, plus he listens and is a spark that ignites the group; plus, he is a wonderful artist whose work graces this CD package. Zach Brock is an excellent jazz (or any other kind of) violinist who never fails to be in the moment, and swings hard right out of the gate. We hope that this music resonates for you as much as it did for us when we recorded it. I humbly thank Kathy Ridl for her beautiful CD design, Paul & Gloria Kilian and Bob Irvine for their generous contributions to this project, Steve Varner for his lovely artwork, and my wife Kathleen for her love, patience, and unflagging support. Open Spaces is dedicated to the memory of my friend and mentor, Bob Brookmeyer, and to Zbigniew Siefert, the best jazz violinist to ever grace our world. --- Michael Stephans, July 2012.