Emily Remler - Cookin' At The Queens: Live In Las Vegas 1984 & 1988 / 2CD set

First Remler Release in 33 Years! Deluxe package includes liner notes by acclaimed author Bill Milkowski, plus recollections from esteemed guitarists Russell Malone, Mike Stern, Rodney Jones and Dave Stryker along with Remler advocates Mimi Fox, Jocelyn Gould, Amanda Monaco and more.

Culled from a previously unreleased collection of performances that were broadcast on KNPR Las Vegas in 1984 and 1988 as part of Alan Grant’s weekly radio program, “4 Queens Jazz Night from Las Vegas,” Cookin’ at the Queens captures Remler in quartet performances with pianist Cocho Arbe, bassist Carson Smith and drummer Tom Montgomery (1984) and trio performances with bassist Carson Smith and drummer John Pisci (1988).

Taped live at the 4 Queens Hotel and Casino in the old part of the Vegas strip (where Resonance’s 2016 release, Live at the 4 Queens from Shirley Horn, was originally recorded), these stunning performances by Remler reveal her abiding love of her personal guitar hero Wes Montgomery and other influential players like Pat Martino and George Benson. Taken as a whole, they represent some of Emily’s most scintillating, swinging, exploratory, unrestrained and inspired playing ever.

Whether it’s burning on an uptempo bebop number like Tadd Dameron’s “Hot House” or tackling modal classics like Miles Davis’ “So What” and John Coltrane’s “Impressions,” delving into a deep blues feeling, as on Bobby Timmons’ “Moanin’” and Montgomery’s “D-Natural Blues,” settling into a sublime ballad like “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” or basking in a bossa nova like Jobim’s “How Insensitive,” Remler’s sheer mastery of her instrument is readily apparent on these superb live tracks, recorded during separate engagements in the French Quarter Room of the 4 Queens Hotel in Las Vegas. They capture Remler in the joyful act of swinging in unencumbered fashion and stand as a testament to her greatness as a jazz guitarist.

“Anyone who’s ever heard Emily play can immediately tell how much Wes Montgomery was part of her life,” noted bassist Eddie Gomez, who appeared on Remler’s 1983 album Transitions and 1985’s Catwalk, both alongside drummer Bob Moses. “She really had that sound of Wes’s and that feel together. She really had a great feel for the music and for that sound and that style. Other guitarists might’ve tried to play more like different guitarists, but she really got ahold of Wes. She really had that feel and that way of spacing chords and playing octaves together. If you closed your eyes, you’d think you were listening to Wes Montgomery. It was really impressive.”

Added Moses, “She out-swung most guitar players. She definitely had the feel, the groove and the soulfulness. She could do the standards and Wes Montgomery-ish stuff, but she had her own thing. And above all, she had that swing.”

Photo by Brian McMillen.Dave Stryker, who had met Remler in the early ‘80s, noted the impact she had back then. “Emily was such a good player, I think she helped inspire other musicians who came along later who might think, ‘Oh, wait, here’s another female musician that is out there doing it and dealing with this music.’ She was just one of the cats and she just happened to be a woman who played her ass off.”

Disciple Sheryl Bailey was lucky enough to have taken a guitar lesson with Remler as a developing young player. “The lesson was unbelievable, one of the best lessons ever,” she recalled. “She was a great teacher. She knew exactly what I needed and was clear about communicating it. I use everything she taught me every day. I teach it to all my students. As a player, she’s swinging, soulful, all about the melody, gorgeous tone, incredible technique, incredible control over the mechanics of the instrument. And she was a great educator.”

Added renowned jazz detective Zev Feldman, who produced this Resonance Records release, “As time goes by, some artists’ legacies get even more interesting and become more important, and I think Emily Remler is such a significant artist. She needs to be talked about and discussed more. She was a trailblazer and I hope these recordings are going to contribute to and validate her story and her importance.”