Kuhn, Steve
ECM, 2009, CD
Instrument: Piano
Issue: 15.4
Jazz Ruler Type: Ballads, Blues
Performance: 5
Sound: 5
Score: 
O’s Notes: This is a warm album uniting pianist Steve Kuhn’s Trio with renowned saxophonist Joe Lovano. Joey Baron (d) and David Finck (b) are Kuhn’s steady partners. The program is focused on music written or popularized by John Coltrane. Steve played with Coltrane during his transition years. These selections include some of the mainstream music they played as well as some of the more far-reaching experimental jazz of Coltrane’s later years. Lovano captures all of Coltrane’s passion and intensity while Kuhn’s approach on piano is far less aggressive than what is typically heard with Coltrane. That delicacy casts the music in a different light and it is indeed enjoyable. Finck and Baron help bring it together and as always ECM captures all of the nuances making this an enjoyable listening session. It is a Kuhn date, focused on piano no doubt, with influence and character of the legendary saxophonist John Coltrane. “I Want to Talk About You” and “Central Park West” were among our favorites.
Publicist: ECM Records
