STEVE KUHN TRIO
Live at Birdland is the debut Blue Note recording of legendary pianist, Steve Kuhn, a veteran of the jazz scene who in addition to recording nearly 40 dates as a leader, has played support for Kenny Dorham, Art Farmer, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Charles Lloyd and Art Blakey over the course of his career.
Kuhn, together with renowned musicians, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Al Foster, performed at Birdland, New York City, in July 2006, where this extraordinary recording was made. At the club, Kuhn noted that these nights marked the 20th anniversary of the threesome’s heralded weeklong stint at the Village Vanguard in 1986, which produced two recordings, The Vanguard Date and Life’s Magic.
Live at Birdland captures the trio reuniting as if their last display of alchemic improvisation had taken place just yesterday. In an elated mood, Kuhn proudly introduced his band-mates as “arguably being none better on this planet.” Later he enthused, “Ron, Al and I grew up listening to the same music and have similar points of reference and influences. The musical interaction and conversation between the three of us truly represents the essence of what small group playing should be.”
That moment in time at the Vanguard in the mid-80’s was thoroughly documented by the New York jazz cognoscenti. In the Village Voice Stanley Crouch remarked, “The most impressive piano trio I heard all year and one of the most impressive trios to emerge in the past decade.” George Kanzler of the Newark Star Ledger enthused, “The Steve Kuhn Trio performs at the pinnacle of jazz group interplay.” Stuart Troop writing in Newsday commented, “Few rhythm sections contain the essential swing, invention and good taste exemplified by the Steve Kuhn Trio.” Lee Jeske in the New York Post was succinct in his praise, “The Steve Kuhn Trio has become one of jazz’ finest trios.” John S. Wilson of The New York Times wrote about the veteran performer, “Mr. Kuhn is a positive, two-handed pianist who can be effectively spare and sketchy but who also builds rolling, sometimes oddly accented lines that eventually sweep relentlessly along, driven by the rhythmic juggernaut supplied by Mr. Carter and Mr. Foster.”
The pianist did not go unnoticed in his hometown of Boston as Bob Blumenthal wrote in the Boston Phoenix, “The music Kuhn’s trio made during their debut at the Regattabar was easily as engaged and compelling on both an individual and an ensemble level, as any heard in these parts in the past year.”
These descriptions capture the essence of Kuhn and co.’s new Birdland recording as well, as they revisit some of the Vanguard songs but in a manner that reflects differences that naturally would occur over a 20-year period of time. The new album also includes material previously unrecorded by this trio. One tune revived from Life’s Magic is “The Jitterbug Waltz” by Fats Waller, who Kuhn calls “one of my heroes.” There’s an overarching sense of humor in the piece, with Kuhn’s graceful, eloquent lead and Carter’s thick, buttery tone.
The group also renders two of Kuhn’s own compositions, “Two by Two” and “Clotilde,” and Carter’s “Little Waltz,” all three originally recorded on The Vanguard Date. On Live at Birdland, each song takes on a new life. For example, Kuhn says about “Two by Two” that he “wrote this back when the trio first started playing together, and has had several incarnations in the intervening years. This take feels fresh to me.”
The band also covers Billy Strayhorn’s “Passion Flower” which features a piano intro from Debussy’s “La Plus Que Lente,” Kenny Dorham’s “Lotus Blossom” and the classic “Stella By Starlight,” which resonates deeply within him. “My mother’s first name was Stella, so playing this is always an emotional experience for me,” says Kuhn. “I always like doing a ballad in each of my sets and this is one of the most beautiful.”
Live at Birdland closes with a swinging Bird firecracker, “Confirmation.” Says Kuhn, “You can’t go wrong with a Charlie Parker tune. “
Kuhn is pleased with the disc, especially in how well the trio jelled. “The three of us playing together is a unique thing,” he says. “It’s something special. We didn’t rehearse prior to the Birdland shows. We just played. There was no angst. There was the greatest amount of mutual respect. That’s what makes this album so exciting to me.”
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