Label: Fresh Sounds Spain
Audio CD: (November 16, 2004)
Jazz
Steve Kuhn has had an interesting career. A talented jazz pianist, he has worked in many types of settings through the years. He began classical piano lessons when he was five, studied with Madame Chaloff, and accompanied her son, baritonist Serge Chaloff, on some gigs when the pianist was 14. He freelanced in Boston as a teenager, graduated from Harvard, and moved to New York where he worked with Kenny Dorham's group (1959-1960). Kuhn was the original pianist in John Coltrane's Quartet, playing for two months before McCoy Tyner succeeded him. He was with the bands of Stan Getz (1961-1963) and Art Farmer (1964-1966), lived in Europe (1967-1970), and then returned to the U.S. in 1971. Kuhn doubled on electric piano in the 1970s, recorded for ECM, and co-led a group with Sheila Jordan in the latter part of the decade. After a period playing commercial music, he formed an acoustic trio in the mid-'80s, which has been his main vehicle ever since. Steve Kuhn has recorded as a leader for Impulse (1966), Contact, MPS, BYG, Muse, ECM, Blackhawk, New World, Owl, Concord, and Postcards.
By Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
**
Five Stars are NOT enough!! SIX "JAW-DROPPING" Stars for one of Jazz' Great Trios in a Tour De Force performance. In Jazz' tumultuous and critical 1960s, this trio surfaced with this recording to issue a shot across the bow of Jazz music from the small 'Contact' jazz label. I'm sure many jazz fans who didn't 'direct order' this record from a store or by mail, completely missed it. I got mine by mail order. Now's your chance to hear it again. Don't miss it !!
Avant-garde pianist Steve Kuhn, whom I had not heard before the performance, delivered a knock-out performance on this CD that continues to amaze to this very day. Now we know what Coltrane heard that made him hire Kuhn as his first pianist. Kuhn was "avant-garde" in that he was using some advanced chords, clusters, modes and interior solo time, (but he was NOT a part of the extensive 1960's "New Thing") which are fully on display here. This music is completely accessible, but some of it is challenging stuff. Steve Swallow was one of the 'young lion' bassists (with the likes of Scottie LaFaro, Gary Peacock, Charlie Haden, and Chuck Israels) and Pete La Roca was a "drummer's drummer" associated with so many great Blue Note studio and live sessions, like "Night of the Cookers".
The CD actually builds in intensity and release as the tracks mount up. Carla Bley's ballad "Ida Lupino" quietly begins with Kuhn speaking the first and only lyric of this song "Is it not in season?" before elegantly stating the beautiful theme and thematically re-constructing it. Then comes the mellow ballad "Ah Moore" before the first uptempo sizzler "Today I Am A Man". A return to the ballad mode with "Memory" and one crystaline and swinging bossa: "Why Did I Choose You?" that shows off Kuhn's improvisational cunning and his ability to elevate a performance in mid-flight. But they're just setting the stage for...the title track....
"Three Waves" is a great descriptive title. Kuhn is calling down the huge amounts of musical thunder and lightning as Swallow's humming bass is like a hurricane gale, and La Roca lashes his drums like torrential rain, as the musical waves crash on the shore and the next set of waves ramps up the music's intensity. It 's hard to imagine where Kuhn and Co got the strength for that last charging crescendo, after the great bass and drum solos. It's almost exhausting exhilaration for the listener. A "Tour De Force", if there ever was one. Then there is one of the greatest renditions of "Never Let Me Go" you'll ever hear, completely disguised, tantalizing until they are ready to reveal it.
"Bits and Pieces", with beautiful chunks and fragments of music flying by the listener, returns to the intensity level of the previous sizzlers; and the short but tumultous "Kodpiece" (literally 'Coda' Piece) caps these great performances. Wonderfully exhilarating! Six HUGE Stars for a great performance by these stupendous musicians.
(Note: This fabulous trio surfaces again on the excellent Art Farmer ballad-laden CD "Sing Me Softly Of The Blues" ("I Waited For You" is a must-hear performance) and on the La Roca-led "Basra" CD with Joe Henderson on Tenor sax ("Malaguena" is a must-hear performance).
**
Steve Kuhn- Piano
Steve Swallow- Bass
Pete La Roca- Drums
**
01. Ida Lupino
02. Ah, Moore - Steve Kuhn Trio
03. Today I Am a Man
04. Memory
05. Why Did I Choose You?
06. Three Waves
07. Never Let Me Go
08. Bits and Pieces
09. Kodpiece
**
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