Step Up – Story of a Debut Album

Although I began studying classical piano about age eight, I was thirty years old before I saw my first jazz fake sheet. After a year of study, I began playing with The Ungroupables in the late 1970s. From the mid-80s until I moved to Japan in 1996, I performed with Jazz Configuration, a newly formed quartet. My first composition Vancouver (1977) captures experiencing March weather in Vancouver, before returning to the ice and snow of the east. Song of Joy (1984) is a celebration of the birth of Nathan, my son, in 1983.

Composing and performing fell dormant for about ten years. After moving to Vancouver in 2007, I returned to jazz piano study and experienced something akin to a musical root canal as I deconstructed past patterns and began to build again. In December 2015, I rediscovered a portfolio filled with draft tune ideas. I began to develop them, in dialogue with Miles Black, and Remembering Ian (2016) arose as a tribute to the late Ian Sedgewick, my first jazz piano teacher.

After 32 years, I had rediscovered a well of passion and energy for composing jazz music.

In short order, two more tunes were charted: Pedal Off as a reminder not to use the sustain pedal as a refuge; Soft Green as a directive for how to give feedback which does not feel invasive. This springs from my university teaching where I discovered that soft green ink (not red, blue or black) elicited students’ willingness to improve.

While disciplining myself to play off and between beats, Da-De-Do Blues (2016) surfaced as an offshoot of my practice. Step Up and Hoo You (2017) mark a shift in compositional direction, arising from open-ended piano explorations late at night. Cozy Sizzle (2017) is good-hearted praise for the way that Chef Tony at the Northwest Culinary Academy taught us to cook steak. What started as the search for a rootless tune morphed into Route Canal (2018). I was compelled to find Neville-san (2018), a lament bidding farewell to my nineteen-year-old loving cat and great friend.

After three, focused years of training and creating, Step Up was born. The album was performed by the Miles Black Quartet with guest Steve Maddock and recorded at Monarch Studios, Vancouver, Canada, July 12, 2018 by Dave Sikula assisted by Olivia Quan. It was mixed & mastered by Dave Sikula at Demitone Productions. The videography (coming soon) is courtesy of Maverick Video Group, Maple Ridge,

I am the Executive Producer of the album, which contains eleven of my original compositions. Miles Black is co-producer and arranger. All tunes were performed by the Miles Black Quartet: Miles Black on piano & guitar, Jodi Proznick on bass, Steve Kaldestad on alto & tenor sax, Julian MacDonough on drums, with Steve Maddock guest vocals on Cozy Sizzle.

Tracklist:

VANCOUVER
PEDAL OFF
SOFT GREEN
DA-DE-DO BLUES
REMEMBERING IAN
HOO YOU
STEP UP
NEVILLE-SAN (piano & drums)
SONG OF JOY
COZY SIZZLE (Steve Maddock vocals)
ROUTE CANAL

Route Canal

Available on

Album design & production is by DMA Discs, Vancouver, BC, with Photography by Vincent Lim.

A special mention and thank you to goes out to the following:

My jazz piano teachers – the late Ian Sedgewick, Victor Noriega, Mary Ann Hsu, and Miles Black.
Victor Noriega and Karim Ratib, my trio practice partners.
Long-time jazz friends Tony House, Peter Weeks, Stephen Chappell and Don Bosse.
Sally Rehorick, my wife, who met me on a piano bench, and decided to stay.
Nathan Rehorick, my son, whose caring presence is my enduring Song of Joy.
Janice Hunter for her generous support.
VSO School of Music supportive staff.
All compositions by David Rehorick (SOCAN). Made in Canada—Barcode 875531015331. Copyright © 2018 All Rights Reserved.

Congratulations on your second album. Every composition from “Chicken Dream Blues” to “Vancouver” sounds great. I really like the spoken word tracks, and the sparseness makes the meaning come through. What a band and composer!

Really outstanding album. I loved your Vancouver duo, completely enjoyed in Relief Pt. 3 bossa, and chuckled at the light-hearted Da-De-Do Blues. A delightful detour from daily life during the pandemic.

I’ve just received your recent album. My oh my! What a treat. You have outdone yourself my friend. I so enjoyed listening to it. Wish I was back as jazz show host to premiere it on Unique FM in Ottawa.

Your CD arrived. Oh my, your new album is fantastic!!! Not only is the music awesome, but the album has such variety, including your spoken words. So creative! My favourite tune is “Just One Moment”, but I love them all.

David Rehorick’s eloquent recent album is a treasure of sound and insight. From sweet reverie in “Eyes Closed” and “I’m in the Mode”, he touches on social concerns in “Dark Fragments” and “Stars Over West 7th”. The tunes “Chicken Dream Blues” and “In Relief” elicit feelings of joy and humour. “Vancouver”, the closing tune, speaks to the beauty of his city of residence.

This is a wonderful array of compositions, both melodically and lyrically, performed with such emotion and precision by the Miles Black Quintet. The three-part jazz suite “In Relief”, and “Just One Moment” are my favourites. Congratulations on another milestone in your musical journey.

I am profoundly struck by just how melodic your compositions are. The arrangements of your tunes and interpretations by these four players draw out the beauty of your musical ideas.

The signature of David Rehorick’s compositions is one of maturity and rich smoothness. His compositions convey a “storied” musical complexity based on personal memories, hinted at in the titles of his pieces.

Step Up features great compositions brought to life by masterful musicians. The promising debut from David Rehorick offers a unique concept which boasts a fine collaborative effort between composer and musician.

A friend lent me a copy of the CD featuring your original compositions. From the first selection Vancouver, I was fully engaged. Five Stars to you and to the Miles Black Quartet.

I teach culinary arts at Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver. When David Rehorick brought to my attention that my steak demonstration was an inspiration to Cozy Sizzle, it was a highlight of my teaching career.

As one of David’s jazz piano instructors from 2012 – 2015, I had the honour and privilege to have been a part of his jazz education. In my opinion, David is without a doubt a very talented, creative musical composer.