Countdown (Steve Kuhn album)

Countdown
Studio album by Steve Kuhn
Released	February 1999
Recorded	October 19 & 20, 1998
Studio	Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Genre	Jazz
Length	54:53
Label	Reservoir
Producer	Mark Feldman
Steve Kuhn chronology
Love Walked In (1998) Countdown (1999) The Best Things (2000)

Countdown is an album by pianist Steve Kuhn which was recorded in 1998 and released on the Reservoir label. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[5]

The AllMusic review by Michael G. Nastos stated "A neglected figure in the overall scheme of modern jazz, perhaps this magnificent recording from the veteran pianist Kuhn will somewhat salve that wound. He is masterfully impressionistic, skillful as any, extra-lyrical, and his talent is in full array ... This music clearly inspires all kinds of lush, regal imagery. It is Kuhn at his best, one of the more soul-stirring piano trio CDs of recent hearing, and a joy to listen to more than just once". ^[4] In JazzTimes, Duck Baker noted "Kuhn’s solos are fluid and interesting; he certainly favors long lines and usually manages to make them build effectively. I can’t say that Kuhn has ever seemed to me to be a strongly original voice in terms of harmony, touch, or voicings, and occasionally he gets dangerously over-impressionistic. But some of the best originals here contain surprising moments and the soloing holds up well". ^[6] On All About Jazz, C. Andrew Hovan said "it's chock full of complexity and substance, yet also very inviting and accessible ... Countdown is a step forward for Kuhn and a valuable addition to this independent's small but substantial catalog". ^[7]

Track listing

All compositions by Steve Kuhn except where noted

1. "Countdown" (John Coltrane) – 3:48
2. "Chalet" – 5:07
3. "Last Year's Waltz" – 3:26
4. "Wrong Together" (Steve Swallow) – 6:26
5. "Four" (Miles Davis) – 7:06
6. "Why Did I Choose You?" (Michael Leonard, Herbert Martin) – 4:52
7. "When Lights Are Low" (Benny Carter, Spencer Williams) – 6:46
8. "She's Funny That Way" (Neil Moret, Richard A. Whiting) – 4:30
9. "Speak Low" (Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash) – 9:32
10. "Tomorrow's Son" – 3:20

Personnel

• Steve Kuhn – piano
• David Finck – bass
• Billy Drummond – drums

References

1. Jazzdisco: Steve Kuhn Catalog accessed February 14, 2019
2. Jazzlists: Reservoir Music discography accessed February 14, 2019
3. Reservoir Music: album details accessed February 14, 2019
4. Nastos, Michael G.. Steve Kuhn: Countdown – Review at AllMusic . Retrieved February 14, 2019.
5. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 852. ISBN   978-0-141-03401-0.
6. Baker, D. JazzTimes Review accessed February 14, 2019
7. Hovan, C. A. All About Jazz Review accessed February 14, 2019