Resonance Records is proud to present the first release in 33 years from the jazz guitarist who tragically died on May 4, 1990 at the age of 32. Cookin' at the Queens is drawn from a previously unreleased collection of performances that aired on Alan Grant's weekly radio program "4 Queens Jazz Night From Las Vegas" on KNPR Las Vegas in 1984 and 1988, and features Remler in quartet performances with pianist Cocho Arbe, bassist Carson Smith and drummer Tom Montgomery (1984) and in trio performances with bassist Carson Smith and drummer John Pisci (1988).

The live recordings from the 4 Queens Hotel and Casino on the old part of the Vegas Strip (where the 2016 Resonance release, Live At The 4 Queens by Shirley Horn, was originally recorded) show Remler's great love for her personal guitar hero Wes Montgomery and other influential musicians such as Pat Martino and George Benson. In their entirety, they represent Emily's most dazzling, sweeping, exploratory, uninhibited and inspired playing ever.

Whether she's throwing herself into an uptempo bebop number like Tadd Dameron's "Hot House" or tackling modal classics like Miles Davis' "So What" and John Coltrane's "Impressions", diving into a deep blues feel like Bobby Timmons' "Moanin'" and Montgomery's "D-Natural Blues", ", dipping into a sublime ballad like "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" or basking in a bossa nova like Jobim's "How Insensitive" - Remler's sheer mastery of her instrument is readily apparent on these excellent live tracks, recorded at various performances in the French Quarter Room of the 4 Queens Hotel in Las Vegas. They capture Remler in the joyous act of carefree swinging and are a testament to her greatness as a jazz guitarist.

Anyone who has ever heard Emily play can immediately recognize how much Wes Montgomery was a part of her life," noted bassist Eddie Gomez, who was featured on Remler's albums 'Transitions' (1983) and 'Catwalk' (1985) along with drummer Bob Moses. "She really had that sound of Wes and that feel together. She really had a great feel for the music and for that sound and that style. Other guitarists might have tried to play more like other guitarists, but she really got a handle on Wes. She really had that feel and that way of putting chords and playing octaves together. If you close your eyes, you'd think you were listening to Wes Montgomery. It was really impressive."

Moses added: "She outperformed most guitarists. She definitely had the feel, the groove and the soulfulness. She could play the standards and Wes Montgomery-type stuff, but she had her own thing. And most of all, she had that swing."

Dave Stryker, who met Remler in the early '80s, noted the influence she had back then. "Emily was such a good player that she inspired other musicians who came along later and maybe thought, 'Oh, wait, here's another female musician doing this and getting into this music.' She was just one of the cats and happened to be a woman who worked her ass off."

Student Sheryl Bailey was lucky enough to take guitar lessons from Remler as a young player. "The lesson was incredible, one of the best lessons ever," she recalls. "She was a great teacher. She knew exactly what I needed and communicated it to me clearly. I use everything she taught me every day. I pass it on to all my students. As a player, she is vibrant, soulful, all about the melody, she has a great tone, incredible technique and incredible control over the mechanics of the instrument. And she was a great teacher".

Renowned jazz detective Zev Feldman, who produced this Resonance Records release, added: "As time goes on, some artists' legacies become even more interesting and important, and I think Emily Remler is such an important artist. She needs to be talked about and discussed more. She was a pioneer, and I hope these recordings will help validate her story and her importance."

By Bernie Grundman from the original tape reels in the UNLV archives.