| "... Rudolph is a savvy, swinging, consistent, glimmering heavyweight. His time is impeccable and the subtlety of his articulation and his ability to make dynamic changes is impressive....... Rudolph is outstanding. Joe Patitucci Jazz Improv Magazine Vol 4 # 2 2003
"...this is playing of a caliber to turn heads. On up tempo tracks Rudolph is graceful without glibness, his lines so light and fleet they barely touch the ground; when he plays a ballad such as "Over the Rainbow", he is expressive but also bracingly clear-sighted and unsentimental. Nate Dorward, Cadence Magazine review of the Joe Hunt Trio CD, June 2004
"Rudolph's gift is rhythmic ease. What he does well is swing warm and gently. It's apparent at tempos from slow to fast, and there's often concentrated lyricism..." Cadence Magazine - review of "Everything I Love"
"Steve Rudolph is a great artist. I've had the pleasure of playing with Steve and each time is a highlight for me. He is a great pianist, composer and a real gentleman."
Louie Bellson
"What a fabulous job you all did for our first "Music in the Schools" program... you all were flawless!" Robert Stadnycki, Greater Harrisburg Arts Council
"I’ve never met Steve Rudolph but I have a hunch he’s a personable guy with a penchant for contemplation. At least that’s how he comes across in his playing on "Everything I Love". The technically adept Rudolph has broad command of his instrument and is good at capitalizing on its mode of nuance".... JazzTimes
Mr. Rudolph,
Your Everything I Love CD has been very well received by the listeners of my radio program. Without doubt, you are one of greatest piano players of our era...a pianist that discovers nuances in each tune. When I think of all the greats like Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Earl Hines and Claude Bolling, I put you right up there with them. João da Penha, DJ "Jazz & Bossa Nova" - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
"... with pianist Steve Rudolph (who recalls Bill Evans at times but mostly has his own voice in jazz’s modern mainstream) ... PACT may be a tiny label, but the high-quality music on Soul Quest is worthy of Blue Note. ONE WAY Recommends- Scott Yanow - Soul Quest (PACT Records)
Rudolph is a sensitive accompanist and fine soloist with a percussive touch that provides a perfect foil for Ryerson. Vital to a group of this sort is the selection of interesting material in a well-balanced program and the trio has done its homework in this respect. At center stage are three fine compositions by Rudolph....
Peter Westbrook, review of Soul Quest for Jazzreview.com
Since arriving in Harrisburg nearly 20 years ago, Rudolph has been largely responsible for the growth and development of the thriving jazz scene in Central PA. - Harrisburg Magazine, "34 Newsmakers of 1996"
The Steve Rudolph Trio is especially sensitive to the special demands of Work's style and marvelously accommodates it. - Dave Nathan... Review of "Pure Imagination" Robin Work & the Steve Rudolph Trio - Allmusic.com Jan. 2002
They record an out of the ordinary arrangement of Bobby Troup's "The Meaning of the Blues". Here, Rudolph is the inside man with his introspective piano, with Goodwin the outside man, knocking off rim shots and other percussive announcements. The arbitrator is Strohman's flighty flute leading the way in a lovely proclamation of a tune that has been done by Julie London to Miles Davis. The Strohman/ Rudolph version need not take a back seat to any version. Dave Nathan... Review of "In Our Prime" the Tom Strohman /Steve Rudolph Quartet - Allmusic.com Nov. 2002
"Steve Rudolph is an innovative jazz educator. His great solo work was a huge motivation to our kids in Williamsport!" Dale Orris, Jazz Coordinator of the Williamsport Area S.D.
"The encore bubbled with enthusiasm. Luloff and Rudolph played an intricate sax/piano duet followed by an extended solo by Rudolph. This great musicianship left the hall resounding with good vibrations." Champaign-Urbana News Gazette
"Thank you for your time and expertise. You were a wonderful panelist, contributing greatly to Lebanon Valley College's successful MEISA Conference." Maria Emerich - LVC
This is a disc that actually tackles the Evans legacy & makes it sound fresh--Evans with the brains & riskiness intact. .... the real discovery here is Steve Rudolph, a pianist I'd not heard before: he's got really good chops, but more to the point he takes a bracingly uncomplacent path through even very familiar standards--there's a reading of "Solar" here which is one of the freshest readings it's received in years. The program is a mix of Rudolph originals, a few standards ("Over the Rainbow", "I'm Glad There Is You") & a couple Evans tunes; everything comes off strongly. Fans of mainstream piano jazz will want to check this one out. N. Dorward "obsessive reviewer" | Jazz Philadelphia Inquirer - Sunday, Aug 27th, 2011
Steve Rudolph Trio CD
Live!
(Dreamboxmedia ***) Anyone who thinks Harrisburg is not a hip town has not heard pianist Steve Rudolph. A founder of the Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz, Rudolph has been music director at the Harrisburg Hilton for the last 20 years.
He joins on this live recording with bassist Steve Meashey, an in-demand veteran of the Philly scene, and drummer Joe Hunt, who worked with Stan Getz, George Russell and Bill Evans back in the 1960s.
The playing is tasteful and straight-ahead. Rudolph finds a sly way into several standards, including a jagged exploration of "Just in Time" and a more mellow take of "The Lamp Is Low." "Come Sunday" rocks with gospel feeling, while "Bill's Blues," a Rudolph original, attacks the genre with abandon. - Karl Stark - Philadelphia Inquirer - Sunday, Aug 27th, 2011
From the Harrisburg Patriot:
Rudolph will debut an original work for jazz quartet and orchestra, "Remembrance," honoring the 10th anniversary of 9/11, with the Harrisburg Symphony at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. (Mozart's "Requiem" is also being played)
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Click HERE to see Steve's interview with the Central PA Arts Guide - 2011
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"Pianist Steve Rudolph demonstrates that one needn’t compromise one’s aesthetic values when doing a Christmas album. Rudolph comes about as close to having a Christmas album with year ‘round appeal as one can...Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean you can’t wail, and that’s just what Rudolph and company do, and that makes this session one of the best Jazz Christmas recordings to come my way." David Dupont Cadence Magazine Dec. 2000 review of "Christmas with the Steve Rudolph Trio"
Buy Dedicated To You. Jazz lovers, of all levels of sincerity, will cherish this record. The great ones know when not to play; throughout, Rudolph and his band (featuring J.D. Walter on vocals) aggressively pursue magical moments with discretion. Rudolph, Walter, Varner, and Marcinko fundamentally grasp what works and when. Dedicated to You shows us how. What a power to have. Jazz Improv Magazine Vol. 5, Number 1, Autumn 2004 PACT Records PACT1010 Gregory Robb, reviewer
Christmas with the Steve Rudolph Trio is a marvelous album, and one that'll probably get left in the CD changer. Pianist Steve Rudolph and buddies - Paul Langosch, bass and Matt Wilson, drums - deliver fresh, inventive and quite entertaining readings of 11 Christmas carols and standards. The arrangements are engaging, the tempos tend toward finger snapping fast, and the musical interplay between these three always tight... THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE Thurs. Dec. 4., 2003 Davis CA newspaper - review by Derrick Bang
"Pianist/composer and founder of the Central PA Friends of Jazz - Steve Rudolph is jazz in Central Pennsylvania." Harrisburg Magazine
......this is an album of assured and confident performances by a group that shows a strong allegiance to and respect for melody. Highly recommended. — Dave Nathan... Review of "Everything I Love" - Allmusic.com Sept. 2001
#12 ...... Our own Central PA Friends of Jazz and Steve Rudolph provide things in which we all can revel.
Harrisburg Magazine, July 2000 - "Why we Live Where We Live" 50 reasons to love Harrisburg
Pianist and composer Steve Rudolph sets the tone for the trio. He is an artist who projects strength and soul within a lyrical framework. His technical ability allows the music to speak to listeners without drawing attention to himself....The date was one of the most satisfying and smoothest I¹ve ever done. The music has the effect of effortless energy. I am anxious for others to hear it. Steve¹s arrangements are exemplary, and the overall performance has much in common with the style of the Bill Evans trios.............drummer Joe Hunt commenting on his 2002 "Joe Hunt Trio" session.
On this particular night, Rudolph was accompanied by the very talented bassist, J. J. Wiggins, and I watched as they wordlessly communicated with the kind of adoration, respect, and giddiness usually reserved for newlyweds and long-lost friends. Locked-in grooves frequently gave way to intricate piano solos deep enough to soothe the heart yet intricate enough to occupy the mind. Back and forth the duo parlayed, mostly grinning ear-to-ear - a raised eyebrow here, a nod of appreciation there - in a sort of collaborative competition that made them both go a little farther. They took turns soloing before seamlessly locking into a groove I couldn't sit still for..... from "Steve Rudolph: a prayer to the gods of rhythm is answered" by Danielle E. Reed - Fly Magazine July 2002
“Everything I Love" gives you an idea of Rudolph’s musical preferences and his mastery. Rudolph is a great professional and the album sounds very beautiful.” Eugene Dolgikh, Jazz-Quad – Belarus
“Steve Rudolph, a pianist I heard with vocalist Alan Harris, was a true joy of an accompanist.” – Rebecca Parris
What a wonderful program you presented at the Perry County Council on the Arts Sunday Arts Hour...the Fetter House has not heard a better jazz concert. The audience of all ages enjoyed every minute. We at PCCA look froward to a return visit. Joni Williamson, Exec. Dir., PCCA
On behalf of the Allied Arts Fund, we thank you for your performance at our "Art in the Garden" event. Your appearance added a special touch of elegance that resulted in a memorable evening for our patrons. Marion Alexander - AAF Campaign Chair
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