Where Do You Start?

Just one in a string of excellent Don Lanphere recordings from the past 20 years
Scott Yanow, L.A. Jazz Scene

"Don Lanphere is one of the most important living saxophonists in jazz." Tim Price, Saxophone Journal...With a recording career that spans more than 50 years, from New York's 52nd St. to Seattle, Lanphere further defines his position as one of the true, original jazz masters with "Where Do You Start?" Teaming once again with the inspired piano trio New Stories, Lanphere adds his long time bandmates, cornetist Jonathan Pugh & trombonist Jeff Hay, for a lush yet swinging session of classic and soon-to-be classic tunes.

Production Info:

produced by DON LANPHERE & JOHN BISHOP
recorded at TRIAD STUDIOS, Redmond, WA, October 4, 2002
engineered by HOWARD MOSTROM
mixed by REED RUDDY at ROBERT LANG STUDIOS, Seattle, WA
assisted by BRIAN VALENTINO
mastered by MARK GUENTHER at Seattle Disc Mastering
cover photo by JOHN BISHOP, Paris
train station photo by MATT JORGENSEN/OriginArts.net
tray photo of Don by JOSH ARMSTRONG
layout & design by JOHN BISHOP/OriginArts

Reviews of Where Do You Start?

L.A. Jazz Scene Review, January 2003 (Scott Yanow)
Few veterans of the classic bebop era are still active, and even fewer are currently in their musical prime. Don Lanphere is a major exception. Rather than just recreating the past (which in the past includes leading a date that featured Fats Navarro), Lanphere always looks ahead. A distinctive tenor saxophonist, Lanphere also doubles on soprano an ...

JazzTimes, May 2003 (David Franklin)
Don Lanphere was alos around during the glory days of bebop, recording with Max Roach and Fats Navarro as early as 1948, but in his case we can still look forward to new music from the 75-year old tenor player. His latest, Where Do You Start? (Origin), recorded with his youthful group of regular band members, once again demonstrates his staying pow ...

Jazz Review (John Doll)
Don Lanphere's career started as an impressive saxophonist in 1949 by playing with legends Fats Navarro, Woody Shaw and Woody Herman. Except for a Woody Herman stint at the end of the Eisenhower era, drug use and incarceration blemished his musical path for a thirty year period. It was only when he kicked the habit in 1982 that he started to make m ...

Berman Music Review (Butch Berman)

International Herald Tribune (Mike Zwerin)
SEATTLE - Bud Young of Seattle's Bud's Jazz Records (''Jazz in all its forms'') says: ''Don Lanphere is a sort of candidate for sainthood around here.'' Bertrand Tavernier's film '''Round Midnight'' was about alienated heroes who died young, poor, strung out and unappreciated. Their search for peace in Paris had only temporary success. Meanwhile, ...

All Music Guide (Scott Yanow)
Few veterans of the classic bebop era were still active in 2002, and even fewer were still in their musical prime. Don Lanphere is a major exception. Rather than just recreating the past (which in his case includes leading a date that featured Fats Navarro), Lanphere always looks ahead. A distinctive tenor-saxophonist, Lanphere also doubles effecti ...

Jazz Times (David Franklin)
Don Lanphere was around during the glory days of bebop, recording with Max Roach and Fats Navarro as early as 1948, and we can still look forward to new music from the 75-year old tenor player. His latest, Where Do You Start? (Origin), recorded with his youthful group of regular band members, once again demonstrates his staying power. This collecti ...

Seattle Times, February 23, 2003 (Paul de Barros)
It takes a lifetime to be able to play the eight-bar solo that saxophonist Don Lanphere delivers on the title tune of this gently autumnal album. Lanphere, who hails originally from Wenatchee, came up as a wild and wailing bebopper, recording in New York with Fats Navarro and Max Roach before he was 20. But Lanphere's swashbuckling lines, slurre ...

Seattle Times Obituary (Jim Bates)
JIM BATES / THE SEATTLE TIMES, 2000 Don Lanphere shows off some of old posters from the Trianon Ball Room in Seattle. He played with some of the top jazz musicians of his time, recording with such legends as Fats Navarro and Max Roach. Don Lanphere, the legendary Wenatchee-born bebop jazz saxophone player who overcame dependence on drugs a ...