Steve Kuhn J*** Pianist
Posted by: Oldnslow on 01 August 2006
Steve Kuhn has been a favorite jazz pianist of mine for nearly 40 years. I have most of his records, and he is very prolific. He has a very unique style with individaul voicings quite unlike any other pianist I know. Lots of classical technique, but a highly skilled improvisor with great time and swing.
His most recent CD, "Pavane for a Dead Princess" on Venus(35361) is a trio album with jazz takes on classical pieces. Usually these kinds of things fall flat. This one is is simply superb and well worth seeking out (available through Tower or Cadence at a "reasonable" price for a Japanese import). Superb music and awesome fidelity, as usual, from this label.
His most recent CD, "Pavane for a Dead Princess" on Venus(35361) is a trio album with jazz takes on classical pieces. Usually these kinds of things fall flat. This one is is simply superb and well worth seeking out (available through Tower or Cadence at a "reasonable" price for a Japanese import). Superb music and awesome fidelity, as usual, from this label.
Posted on: 02 August 2006 by Squonk
You reminded me that I have this disc but have never really given it a proper spin. So in the car today I played it and it is good and as you say beautifully recorded.
There is a lot of good jazz on Venus Records. I really like Falando De Amnor by Stefano Bollani and Renaissance by Enrico Rava to name a couple.
What other Kuhn CD's do you recommend? I have been playing his ECM rerelease Trance recently.
Adrian
There is a lot of good jazz on Venus Records. I really like Falando De Amnor by Stefano Bollani and Renaissance by Enrico Rava to name a couple.
What other Kuhn CD's do you recommend? I have been playing his ECM rerelease Trance recently.
Adrian
Posted on: 02 August 2006 by Oldnslow
Yes, Bollani is a wonderful pianist. I have the Rava and have seen the Bollani you mention. I probably will pick it up. I think you would also like "Romantica" by Danilo Rea (trio) on Venus. Bollani and Rea are two of the younger excellent Italian pianists. I also found the recent Eddie Higgins-Scott Hamilton Venus CD "My Funny Valentine" to be superb. Eddie Higgins is another of my favorites.
Posted on: 02 August 2006 by Oldnslow
As to Kuhn I like pretty much all of his recordings, and the ones on Venus have the added benefit of incredible fidelity. One CD you might enjoy is the one that got me started when I first heard it in the mid 60's --that is his colloboration with Gary McFarland, which has recently been remastered and reissued by Verve. Wonderful arrangements of original material by McFarland for a wind group, and a string group--a great example of Kuhn's unique, sometimes repetitive voicings.
Posted on: 02 August 2006 by Huwge
Thanks guys you have just caused me to melt some plastic at hmv.jp, even with the postage and duty this seems to be the best way to buy Japanese discs.
2 Bollani discs and the Kuhn.
2 Bollani discs and the Kuhn.
Posted on: 02 August 2006 by fred simon
I'm a long time fan of Steve Kuhn; love his music on ECM.
He also happens to play on one of my favorite albums of all time, Steve Swallow's Home. All the tunes are Swallow's settings of poems by Robert Creeley; the poems are sung with great character by Sheila Jordan. The thing is, Creeley's poems are very short (just one of the many reasons he's one of my favorite poets), so on most songs Sheila sings the short poem and then the band takes off: Kuhn, David Liebman (on his last tenor sax date before his decades-long, and now, thankfully, ended, tenor hiatus), Bob Moses on drums, Lyle Mays on synth, and of course, Swallow on bass.
The band is fantastic ... inspired, loose, smart, melodic, inventive, and swinging. Moses plays the colorist of time, Kuhn floats right on top. Liebman plays some of the best of his career (and that's saying something if you've heard a lot of his records), and Lyle lays down watercolor washes as a canvas for the others to skate across (if I may mix my metaphors).
An interesting and little-known fact is that Steve Kuhn played in John Coltrane's quartet for about six months just before Trane hired McCoy. Apparently the fit wasn't right. I would have loved to hear it, though.
Fred
Posted on: 03 August 2006 by Oldnslow
Fred---I'd like to hear Kuhn play in a working quartet with tenor or alto player, or at least occasionally record with one. Liebman would be a good choice, as long as he kept his soprano in the case. I always liked Liebman's Lookout Farm quartet with Richie Bierach, and Kuhn would fit the bill for sure.
While there are many brilliant modern jazz pianists, I rate Kuhn very highly because of his unique, individual style. In some respects his playing has become more conservative over the years since he left ECM, with fewer individual compositions. I find him just as interesting as always, however. Don Friedman is another favorite of mine, again with his own unique style, who has become more conservative as he gets older(don't we all!), but has a way of retaining his freshness and individuality.
While there are many brilliant modern jazz pianists, I rate Kuhn very highly because of his unique, individual style. In some respects his playing has become more conservative over the years since he left ECM, with fewer individual compositions. I find him just as interesting as always, however. Don Friedman is another favorite of mine, again with his own unique style, who has become more conservative as he gets older(don't we all!), but has a way of retaining his freshness and individuality.
Posted on: 03 August 2006 by fred simon
Oldnslow, did you ever hear the two ECM dates Kuhn did with the quartet, Motility and Nonfiction, featuring Steve Slagle on alto and soprano sax and flute, Harvie Swartz on bass, and Michael Smith (former) or Bob Moses (latter) on drums? Unfortunately both are out of print now.
Regarding Liebman, I like his soprano playing a lot, but his tenor kills me. If you've never heard the Swallow album I mentioned, Home, you really should check it out ... one of Liebman's best tenor dates, and one of Kuhn's best as well.
Fred
Posted on: 03 August 2006 by fred simon
quote:Originally posted by Oldnslow:
[Kuhn] has become more conservative as he gets older(don't we all!)
Hell, no! Not me.
Fred
Posted on: 08 August 2006 by Oldnslow
Thanks Fred. I'll track down the Swallow recording you mention. And keep on experimenting. As an artist, let Beethoven be your guide......he certainly didn't become more conservative the older he got, did he?