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SLUGish Ensemble

•Named as one of "The Best Jazz Albums of 2018" Bandcamp Daily

•"An Eight out of Nine serves as Northern California's less extravagant answer to Los Angeles' thriving crossover soul-jazz scene (popularized largely by Kamasi Washington and Flying Lotus). The record is original, earnest and immediate." Jazziz Magazine (Asher Wolf)

•Named as one of “The Best jazz albums of 2018” The Mercury News

•"More prog than pop, and more orchestral jazz than fusion, An Eight out of Nine seamlessly negotiates many moods and satisfies multiple musical cravings" - The Absolute Sound (Derk Richardson)

•"{An Eight out of Nine} is wildly lyrical, embracing the heady juxtaposition of a simply-stated melody that gradually reveals a complex system of deviations. It also incorporates an array of recording and editing techniques. That Lugerner is able to harness these capacities with such aplomb is no shock—there have been hints of this ambition throughout his career. An Eight Out Of Nine is simply the culmination of all of his work to date, coming together in the same breath." Bandcamp Daily (Dave Sumner)

JACKNIFE

•3.5 Star Review in DownBeat Magazine (2016)

•“Clearly rooted in the jazz tradition, JACKNIFE is a hungry, young combo that feasts on the themes of the great Jackie McLean” - Downbeat Magazine

•“JACKNIFE provdes to be a sharp, cutting-edge band, even with a repertoire over 50 years old. Lugerner, especially, channels the creative heat and searing, tart tone of the young Jackie McLean” - The NYC Jazz Record (George Kranzler)

•“JACKNIFE is a burner and shock to the system, a bucket of ice water poured on you on a 100-degree day” - ICON Magazine (Mark Keresman)

•“If you’re a fan of McLean’s middle period of writing/playing then this will please your ears beyond nostalgia.” - Cadence Magazine (Bob Rusch)

 •“The audacity of McLean’s attack is apparent in everything that Lugerner plays. The aggressiveness, rough edges and incisiveness of McLean’s conception are apparent from his successor’s first solo” - Rifftides (Doug Ramsey)

 •“Steven Lugerner delvers a tribute to the advanced hard bopper Jackie McLean with an impressively assertive and swinging team…” - Jazz Weekly (George W. Harris)

 •“Paying such a musician homage would not be easy if the right artists did not seize the day to ensure that the music McLean made at various points in his career did not gleam with the same intensity as when Jackie McLean recorded it. That is what recommends this recording rather simply entitled The Music of Jackie McLean with such nobility. The vitality and brilliance of these six tracks as played by a most appropriately named band: Jacknife shine forth in the strongest and most exciting, visceral colours.” - JazzdaGama

 •“{JACKNIFE} fearlessly reinvigorates the classics without looking back.” - Midwest Record

FOR WE HAVE HEARD

•3 Star Review in DownBeat Magazine (2013)

 •“….an ambitious composer, arranger, and conceptualist who seems to be overflowing with ideas.” - Peter Margasak (The Chicago Tribune)

 •“Steven Lugerner’s For We Have Heard has a mystical quality and a highly spiritual feel. If a film director decided to make a movie based on events in the Book of Joshua and used For We Have Heard as the soundtrack, Lugerner’s compositions would be right at home.” - Jazz Inside Magazine

 •“…melding composed music with provocative improvisations in a concise coherent fashion” - Modern Drummer Magazine

 •“For We Have Heard is an album that demands close and attentive listening because of its very delicate and tender compositions.” - Free Jazz Blog

 •“Indeed, Lugerner is a wise soul who possesses a deep-rooted artistic persona via his markedly unique compositional style, paralleling his astute leadership.” - AllAboutJazz.com

 •“Lugerner presents music that challenges the ear, just as it must have challenged the composer as he went about the task of crafting the songs.  And as it is with any challenge, the effort to engage comes with its rewards.” - Bird Is the Worm

 •“…distantly warm, this is music unafraid to challenge. Active music, but with a heavy presence.” - eMusic

 •“you can’t help but notice how {Steven Lugerner} the double-reedist holds such a tight, commanding grip on his chamber jazz ensembles and the sounds they produce.” - Pop Matters

 •“For Have We Heard has no allegiance to any one style of creative music but the program remains true to its composer’s unique vision. Take the time to wend your way through the songs - the reward is in the impressive architecture of the performances.” - Step Tempest

 •“For We Have Heard: it’s a beautiful album of compositions and improvisations played by a superb group consisting of pianist Myra Melford, trumpeter Darren Johnston, and drummer Matt Wilson.This CD is a great find, and I highly recommend it.” - Politics and Prose (DC)

 •“…sparse, well-plotted themes, solos void of cliche and sentimentality and coarse textures that are intriguing throughout.” - The Jazz Word

CHIVES

•“Chives have developed an intimate rapport, and they show it off expertly on their terrific new album, Dads (Primary)—dedicated, obviously, to their fathers. They’re a limber group, and the rhythm section brings elasticity and bounce to the alternately airy and driving grooves as Lugerner tangles with the themes, sometimes playing inside them and sometimes soaring far afield. Lugerner’s soprano work in particular is excellent, avoiding cloying sweetness in favor of a wonderfully dry sound reminiscent of Steve Lacy. He’s clearly someone to keep an eye on.” — Peter Margasak of The Chicago Reader