Dave Stryker, Blue Fire: The Van Gelder Session Review

By Jeff Becker

Dave Stryker is opening 2026 swinging with Blue Fire: The Van Gelder Session. Listen closely to the beauty of the notes that are played and in the silences that frame them.

Recording at Van Gelder Studio carries an unavoidable weight of history. The room itself hums with the accumulated intention of countless masters having tested ideas against its walls, letting sound reveal character. On Blue Fire: The Van Gelder Session, guitarist Dave Stryker does not attempt to wrestle with that history or gild it with reverence. Instead, he steps inside calmly, with the confidence of a musician who understands that tradition is something to be used as a starting point.

This is an organ-trio record in the truest sense: guitar, Hammond organ with pedal bass, and drums operating as a single organism. Stryker is joined by Jared Gold on organ and McClenty Hunter on drums, and from the opening bars, it’s clear that this is a working trio of three musicians aligned in time feel, vocabulary, and shared musical values.

“Van Gelder’s Place” is rooted in organ trio blues harmony in a classic medium-up swing setting; it establishes the album’s aesthetic of grounded, relaxed, and unforced swing. Stryker’s phrasing is melodic and favors development. Gold’s pedal bass and voicings provide buoyancy while Hunter’s drumming is steady and balanced.

The title track, “Blue Fire,” offers a sustained vamp, allowing the focus to be on tone, articulation, and rhythmic placement. What makes this track compelling is its restraint. The trio allows intensity to emerge slowly, through micro-adjustments of dynamics and phrasing, building naturally to climaxes. Gold’s pedal bass anchors the groove with authority, while Stryker lets space do as much work as sound. The fire smolders, rewarding listeners who stay close.

On “The Fool on the Hill,” Stryker and company offer a bossa nova reading of the Lennon–McCartney classic that feels entirely natural. The original song form remains intact, but subtle reharmonization and rhythmic displacement gently act as the gravity that pulls us into the music. The melody is treated with respect and clarity, floating over a light Brazilian pulse. This reinterpretation is guided by lyricism and ease, allowing a familiar tune to settle comfortably into a jazz vocabulary.

“Dexterity,” Charlie Parker’s bebop staple, might seem an unlikely candidate for organ trio, but it proves to be one of the album’s most energizing moments. Taken at a brisk tempo, the performance emphasizes articulation and swing. Stryker weaves bebop language seamlessly with blues phrasing, grounding the tune while honoring its lineage. Hunter’s drumming remains firm but interactive, ensuring that the track feels energized.

With “Waiting for Ruby,” the album opens into a longer form. This extended original favors modal exploration and gradual development, supported by an understated, consistent groove from the rhythm section. Nothing is hurried here. Stryker allows ideas to unfold organically, trusting repetition and variation to carry the narrative. It’s a deeply patient track, and one that invites the listener to settle in and enjoy the subtleties.

“Back and Forth” lives up to its title through call-and-response exchanges between guitar and organ. Compact solos keep the momentum, with the real focus being on ensemble interaction. This track captures the essence of great trio playing with deep listening, responding, and shaping the music collectively in real time.

The heart felt “The Folks Who Live on the Hill” unfolds gradually and with great care to create a feeling. The pacing is deliberate, the dynamics restrained. Stryker allows the melody to speak plainly. In this setting, time feel becomes structural, phrases are framed by breath and intention, lest the spell be broken. It’s a ballad performance that understands that intimacy emerges from what is withheld.

“Every Dark St.” is built on straightforward harmony and groove; its interest lies in nuance of phrasing, tone, and rhythmic shading. The atmosphere is calm but filled with rewarding tension and release. The album closes with “Summer Night,” carried by a light waltz feel; the melody remains clear as improvisation expands gently, never tipping the balance. Warm and graceful, the track feels unforced and allows the session to end as naturally as it began.

Blue Fire: The Van Gelder Session is an album of strength in balance, patience, and deep respect for the organ-trio tradition. Dave Stryker leads by shaping the music with tone, time, and ensemble awareness. Jared Gold and McClenty Hunter are equal partners, anchoring and animating the music with authority. Like a well-tended garden, this record reveals its beauty over time. Listen closely, and return often to enjoy the swinging harvest.