Dave Stryker‘s Blue Fire: The Van Gelder Session features the guitarist performing at one of the most revered venues in recorded jazz, and the chosen setting is anything but incidental. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s legendary Englewood Cliffs studio in July 2025, the album benefits from the ambiance itself. Its warmth, clarity, and a sense of history, while showcasing a deeply rooted guitar-organ-drums trio that understands groove as both discipline and release. Joined by organist Jared Gold and drummer McClenty Hunter, Stryker delivers a session that is unhurried, soulful, and confidently grounded in the tradition.
The album begins with two Stryker originals: “Van Gelder’s Place,” followed by the title track, “Blue Fire.” These pieces act as both…