With a sound that can best be described as ‘velvety’, trumpet and flugelhorn player Steffen Kuehn is an artist with a superb feel for seductive, urban tinged contemporary jazz. His second CD, the 2008 ‘Trumpop’, is an absolute gem. It finds seven self penned tunes alongside three well chosen covers and in every respect is as fine an example of buried treasure as will be discovered anywhere. (Denis Poole, smoothjazztherapy.com - June 2010) Hi Stef I have your CD off iTunes-sounds great! Hope to see you around soon :) (Bill Ortiz, trumpeter with Carlos Santana) June 2009 'Trumpop', the amazing title track of a solid album... (WSDB, The Sweet Daddy Bugg Radio Network, April 2009) Hi Steffen, I got the CD on Friday and IT ROCK'S! I plan on airing it soon! I will let you know when it's added to our playlist. Thanks a lot for sending it! :-) K. ( K Huggs, www.indyjz.com, Indianapolis) April 2009 The Best of 2008 - our top 91 songs of the year! (WVSU FM.91.1) 'Trumpop' makes No.41! 'Trumpop' enters the Top 50 Smooth Jazz Music, sorted by popularity on payplay.fm (of 4,883 albums) http://payplay.fm/genre/smooth+jazz/popular 'Trumpop' enters the Top 50 on CD Baby: Top-Selling Urban/R&B: Smooth Soul albums (#41 - #80)(December 08) 'Trumpop' voted as one of 'CDBaby's Best Smooth Jazz' on http://www.smooth-jazz.de/CDBaby/CDBaby.htm 'Dear Steffen, congratulations on the new CD which is outstanding! This project really does highlight artists that don't get the airplay and attention they deserve!' With best regards from the UK, Wes (Wes Gillespie, Radio Producer and Host www.JazzNet247.com, December 2008) November 2008: 'trumpop' is up for a 2009 Grammy nomination for 'Best Contemporary Jazz Album'! 'Trumpeter Steffen Kuehn unleashes sheer silkiness on pillow-soft, serene, yet head-bopping and moving jazz melodies.' (www.smoothvibes.com, November 2008) 'Trumpop' is on CDBaby's "Top-Selling Jazz: Smooth Jazz Albums" list. (November 2008) September 22 2008:'trumpop' at No.33 in the smoothjazz.com Top 50 Radio indiecharts for the 18th straight week - www.smoothindiestar.com/chart "I’m blown away by this new project from San Francisco Bay Area trumpeter Steffen Kuehn. It’s outstanding, and here’s why… he’s incredibly talented, and he gets it! Steffen knows what works for Smooth Jazz. TRUMPOP is a surefire lesson plan for anyone planning to release a hit Smooth Jazz album. You have a fresh, exciting collection of music that Smooth Jazz fans worldwide are going to love, and that forward-thinking Smooth Jazz broadcasters are going to embrace and support. You have a hit album. You have TRUMPOP by Steffen Kuehn. Class dismissed!" (Scott O'Brian, www.smoothjazz.com) "Right from the beginning, the smooth and mellow sounds of this trumpeter--unknown to me before listening to this release--emitted a powerful call for my undivided attention. With such a refreshingly serene yet moving piece of smooth jazz with that slight head-bopping edge that only a trumpet player into this subgenre can muster and muster well, Kuehn will soon be a household name.... Kuehn has a clear winner here and, by his playing, you can tell he knows it. I suspect that this release is only the beginning of a warm relationship between Kuehn and smooth jazzers everywhere." (Ronald Jackson, www.jazzreview.com) "Steffen mesmerizes the audience with his mute trumpet on the magic and melancholic Trumpop.... This formidable album is packed with accessible tunes often played by smooth jazz radio stations... Steffen delivers a superb cover (Spring ain't here) with a high appeal.... Her warm vocals (Claudia Villela)create the ideal ground for Steffen Kuehn's brilliant trumpet solo... Steffen Kuehn's approach to record a smooth jazz album convinces. Steffen and the other musicians of this album are high-professional and the intention to entertain is fulfilled. Nevertheless Steffen doesn't deny his jazz roots and so this album has a quality other musicians have to strive for." (Hans-Bernd Huelsmann, www.smooth-jazz.de) "If one is partial to the sounds of relaxing smooth jazz, then “Trumpop” is one must album for your collection. Kuehn crafts one first-rate contemporary smooth jazz recording with no mediocre tunes to worry about as every piece here has a unique and exciting smooth texture. Trumpeter Steffen Kuehn produces a masterpiece that will no doubt please the critics and jazz audiences alike. Kudos Mr. Kuehn for one fine album that’s highly enjoyable." (Ed Blanco, www.ejazznews.com) "Thanks for sending us TRUMPOP. Great project! I like "Trumpop", the Pat Metheny tune and your other original, "The Sky is the Limit" for SmoothJazz.com Radio." (Sandy Shore, www.smoothjazz.com) "Steffen, I didnt want to write to you until I listened to your CD...it's killen.... I really dig your writing and playing....killen grooves etc....nice sounds..." (JD Walter, www.jdwalter.com) "Now that's a killin' smooth jazz CD! Your hard work has definitiely paid off! I enjoyed what I heard immensely." (Rick Keller, www.futuresax.com) "We've added 4 tracks from the new CD to our station rotation. Awesome CD. Previewed Trumpop on our live show as well." (Dick Fairchild/City Sounds Radio, www.citysounds.biz) "Mr. Kuehn, Your CD is excellent I love it!!!!!! This is Jazz contemporary I personally enjoy CD’s like this smooth is just the tip of the iceberg for this CD. I will add this immediately!!!!!!!!! Sincerely, Norvell Molex Jr. (www.thejazzsuite.net) "Thanks for the fantastic CD. We put 3 songs into our 24/7 rotation" (Harry Melchior,www.swissgroove.ch) "I am adding two songs into a gold rotation on Jazz Café. I'll add "Trumpop", which has a nice funky feel, and your Miles Davis cover, which I thought was very good!!" (Carol Ann Murray, Music Director, www.MaxTrax.com Calgary, Canada) "Steffen has that warm trumpet sound that listeners can relate to. The CD sounds great!" (Pete Escovedo) "Steffen, I liked your CD! Beautiful playing." (Adolfo Acosta, Trumpeter with Tower Of Power) "Good stuff, Stef!" (Jamie Brewer, bassist with The Whispers) "The music of trumpeter Steffen Kuehn’s new CD,’trumpop’, is so cool that it’s already been targeted by Hollywood….(Jerry Karp, www.rocketwords.com). Trumpeter Steffen Kuehn’s music and playing showcases his affinity for R&B and Hip-Hop based tracks, mixed with jazzy harmonies that puts ‘Jazz’ into Contemporary/Smooth Jazz. The funky title track ‘trumpop’ was featured in the Miramax movie ‘Birthday Girl’, starring Nicole Kidman and Ben Chaplin. Two more original songs off his new album have also been signed to publisher 'Wild Pink Music'in L.A. Featuring some of Northern California’s finest musicians in the Contemporary Jazz genre, this recording explores new territory and will for sure make big waves! * Produced and mixed by keyboardist Peter Horvath who earns his bread and butter playing keys with Victor Bailey's band. * Engineered and mixed by Latin Smooth Jazz guitar legend Ray Obiedo(Herbie Hancock, George Duke). The rest of the personnel on the CD includes: * Nelson Braxton on bass (Braxton Brothers, Michael Bolton) * Brian Collier on drums (Lauryn Hill, Santana) * Karl Perazzo on percussion (Santana) Special guest appearances by Marty Wehner(trombone), Norbert Stachel(saxes), Jeff Cressman(trombone), Carla Helmbrecht, Kenny Washington, Claudia Villela, Larry Batiste and Sandy Griffith(vocals).