Album Notes

Cincinnati-based jazz pianist Steve Schmidt is well-known regionally and nationally for his work with The Blue Wisp Big Band and for his tenure as house pianist at The Blue Wisp Jazz Club. At that renowned venue his trio has backed such diverse and legendary soloists as Joe Henderson, Eddie Harris, Herb Ellis, Joe Lovano, Mark Murphy, Scott Hamilton and Tal Farlow - to name just a few.
Steve was called upon to fill in for an ailing Count Basie as The Count Basie Orchestra came through Cincinnati in 1984 and went on to play other dates with that famous band after Basie’s death. He has recorded with many regional and national artists as well as with the top-selling Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.
Schmidt’s tastes are wide-ranging, from blues and mainstream jazz to latin music and he brings all of these influences to bear on his acoustic trio CD, “Red And Orange”. Recorded in New York City, it features Drew Gress on bass (a member of The Fred Hersch Trio and Ravi Coltrane’s group, among others) and Jeff Ballard on drums (Chick Corea, The Brad Mehldau Trio and Joshua Redman’s Elastic Band).
“Red And Orange” is a well-recorded, balanced mix of originals and freshly arranged standards that is marked by lyricism, spontaneity and groove from this cohesive trio.
Includes liner notes by pianist Fred Hersch.