Dave Stryker: Blue Fire - The Van Gelder Session

Many of Dave Stryker's recent albums focus on a particular idea or concept that serves as the recording's focal point. His Eight Track series (Strikezone 2013-2019) and Stryker with Strings Goes to the Movies (Strikezone, 2025) serve as prime examples. With Blue Fire -The Van Gelder Session, the guitarist steps into the studio of legendary producer Rudy Van Gelder—literally—and he is right at home with this project.

The Van Gelder studio produced some of the most memorable albums in jazz history, with artists ranging from John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock to Jimmy Smith and Grant Green. The recording features Stryker alongside longtime collaborators Jared Gold on organ and McClenty Hunter on drums. When it comes to creating authentic jazz-blues grooves, these are the players to have on speed dial.

The tight-knit connection among the musicians is evident from the opening moments of the album. This is the classic guitar-organ-drum trio sound, popularized on countless Blue Note Records sessions recorded in this very studio, and Stryker's band sounds completely at ease within that tradition. Although they have played countless gigs together over the years, the setting itself seems to elevate the performance. In an interview, Stryker noted that walking into the studio brings an immediate sense of history and an unmistakably warm, resonant sound.

That atmosphere carries into the opening originals, beginning with "Van Gelder's Place," where Stryker's masterful blues-inspired lines build with intensity as Gold's melodic comping and Hunter's driving rhythm create a solid pocket. The title track raised the intensity, driven by a simmering vamp that gives Stryker room to stretch out while the rhythm section maintains a steady, grounded feel. Gold's pedal bass lays down a solid foundation that locks in with Hunter's insistent beat.

While the album leans heavily on Stryker originals, the interpretations of familiar material are equally compelling. John Lennon  and Paul McCartney's "The Fool on the Hill" is transformed into a thoughtful bossa nova, revealing the tune's harmonic depth without sacrificing its reflective character. Stryker states the melody with restraint and clarity, while Gold subtly reshapes the harmony beneath him. Charlie Parker's "Dexterity" receives a focused, swinging reading that favors articulation and precision over sheer velocity, highlighting the trio's command of bebop language.

One of the album's most moving moments comes with their take on Jerome Kern's "The Folks Who Live on the Hill." Stryker's feel here provides a textbook example of his command of space, touch, and melodic pacing. He plays each note with a sense of authority and restraint, allowing just enough space for Gold's presence to come to the forefront. The closing track, Harry Warren  and Al Dubin's "Summer Night," shifts the mood once more, serving up a swinging, up-tempo number that delivers some slightly unpredictable fun.

If walls could talk, Van Gelder's studio would have a lot to say. With Blue Fire, however, Stryker and crew manage to convey some of the studio's magic with enough melody and groove to reassure us that the place is still alive and well.

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