 |
Steve Kuhn | |
|---|---|
 Kuhn at the Oslo Jazz Festival in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | March 24, 1938 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, arranger, bandleader, educator |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Labels | Impulse!, Buddha, ECM, Concord, Blue Note, Sunnyside, New World, Venus, MPS, Prestige |
Steve Kuhn (born March 24, 1938) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator. [1]
Kuhn was born in New York City, New York, to Stella (née Kaufman) and Carl Kuhn, and was raised in Newton, Massachusetts. [2] His parents were Hungarian-Jewish immigrants. [3] At the age of five, he began studying piano under Boston piano teacher Margaret Chaloff, mother of jazz baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff, [1] who taught him the "Russian style" of piano playing. At an early age he began improvising classical music. As a teenager, he appeared in jazz clubs in the Boston area with Chet Baker, Coleman Hawkins, Vic Dickenson, and Serge Chaloff.
After graduating from Harvard, he attended the Lenox School of Music where he was associated with Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, and Gary McFarland. [4] The school's faculty included Bill Evans, George Russell, Gunther Schuller, and the members of the Modern Jazz Quartet. This allowed Kuhn to play, study, and create with some of the most forward-thinking innovators of jazz improvisation and composition; it culminated with his joining trumpeter Kenny Dorham's group for an extended time and (briefly) John Coltrane's quartet at New York's Jazz Gallery club. [1]
Kuhn also has appeared with Stan Getz, Art Farmer, Oliver Nelson, Gary McFarland, Ron Carter, Scott LaFaro, Harvie Swartz, vocalist Sheila Jordan, Billy Drummond, David Finck, and Miroslav Vitous. From 1967 to 1971 Kuhn lived in Stockholm, Sweden where he worked with his own trio throughout Europe. In 1971 Kuhn moved back to New York City and formed a quartet but continued doing European gigs and appearing at the Newport Jazz Festival.
In his early years, Kuhn was known as an avant-garde jazz pianist. He was associated with bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Pete La Roca during the 1960s on several notable recordings: Three Waves, under Kuhn's leadership; Basra, under La Roca's leadership, which also featured Joe Henderson; and Sing Me Softly of the Blues under flugelhornist Art Farmer's leadership. Also notable was Kuhn's inclusion in the quartet on the landmark recording Sound Pieces led by saxophonist, composer, and arranger Oliver Nelson and including Ron Carter on bass and Grady Tate on drums. Among other critically acclaimed recordings there was The October Suite composed by Gary McFarland for Kuhn and an ensemble which included strings, woodwinds, and reeds. The Promises Kept album features Kuhn's compositions, piano, and strings.
For decades, Steve Kuhn has led all-star trios that have included such players as bassists Ron Carter and David Finck, and drummers Al Foster, Jack DeJohnette, Buster Williams and Joey Baron. He has had several live recordings made in some of New York's leading jazz clubs. Kuhn is also the composer of the jazz standard "The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers".
In late 2022, Kuhn announced that he had retired from touring.[ citation needed ]
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Year released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1960 | PJL | 2005 | Trio, with Scott LaFaro (bass), Pete La Roca (drums) |
| 1963 | The Country and Western Sound of Jazz Pianos | Dauntless | 1963 | With Toshiko Akiyoshi (piano, cello), Barry Galbraith (guitar), David Izenzon and John Neves (bass), Pete La Roca (drums) [5] |
| 1966 | Three Waves | Contact | 1966 | Trio, with Steve Swallow (bass), Pete La Roca (drums) [5] |
| 1966 | The October Suite | Impulse! | 1967 | Co-led with Gary McFarland (conductor); with Isadore Cohen and Matthew Raimondi (violin), Alfred Brown (viola), Charles McCracken (violincello), Ron Carter (bass), Marty Morell (drums) [5] |
| 1968 | Watch What Happens! | MPS | 1968 | Trio, with Palle Danielsson (bass), Jon Christensen (drums); also released as Steve Kuhn in Europe by Prestige [5] |
| 1969 | Childhood Is Forever | BYG | 1969 | Trio, with Steve Swallow (bass), Aldo Romano (drums) [5] |
| 1971 | Steve Kuhn | Buddah | 1971 | With Ron Carter (bass), Billy Cobham (drums), Airto Moreira (percussion), string quartet [5] |
| 1972 | Steve Kuhn Live in New York | Cobblestone | 1972 | Quartet, with George Mraz (bass), Bruce Ditmas (drums), Sue Evans (percussion); in concert; also released as Raindrops by Muse [5] |
| 1974 | Ecstasy | ECM | 1975 | Solo piano [5] |
| 1974 | Trance | ECM | 1975 | Quartet, with Steve Swallow (electric bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums), Sue Evans (percussion) [5] |
| 1977 | Motility | ECM | 1977 | Quartet, with Steve Slagle (flute, soprano sax, alto sax), Harvie Swartz (bass), Michael Smith (drums) [5] |
| 1978 | NonFiction | ECM | 1978 | Quartet, with Steve Slagle (flute, soprano sax, alto sax, percussion), Harvie Swartz (bass), Bob Moses (drums) [5] |
| 1979 | Playground | ECM | 1980 | Quartet, with Harvie Swartz (bass), Bob Moses (drums), Sheila Jordan (vocals) [5] |
| 1981 | Last Year's Waltz | ECM | 1982 | Quartet, with Harvie Swartz (bass), Bob Moses (drums), Sheila Jordan (vocals); in concert [5] |
| 1984 | Mostly Ballads | Polydor | 1986 | Duo, with Harvie Swartz (bass) |
| 1986 | The Vanguard Date | Owl | 1991 | Trio, with Ron Carter (bass), Al Foster (drums); in concert [6] |
| 1986 | Life's Magic | Black Hawk | 1986 | Trio, with Ron Carter (bass), Al Foster (drums); in concert [5] |
| 1988 | Porgy | Jazz City | 1989 | Most tracks trio, with Eddie Gómez and Buster Williams (bass; separately), Al Foster (drums); some tracks quartet, with Laura Anne Taylor (vocals) added [5] |
| 1989 | Oceans in the Sky | Owl | 1990 | Trio, with Miroslav Vitouš (bass), Aldo Romano (drums) [5] |
| 1990 | Looking Back | Concord | 1990 | Trio, with David Finck (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) [5] |
| 1990 | Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume Thirteen | Concord | 1990 | Solo piano; in concert [5] |
| 1992 | Years Later | Concord | 1992 | Trio, with David Finck (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) [5] |
| 1993-96 | In Cafe | Tokuma | 1997 | Solo piano |
| 1994 | Live in Japan Vol.1 & Vol.2 | PJL | 2004 | Co-leader duo with Steve Swallow (electric bass) |
| 1994? | In the Shadows | Owl | 1994 | Co-leader with Carol Fredette (vocals) |
| 1995 | Remembering Tomorrow | ECM | 1996 | Trio, with David Finck (bass), Joey Baron (drums) [5] |
| 1995 | Two by 2 | Owl | 1996 | Co-leader duo with Steve Swallow (bass) |
| 1995 | Seasons of Romance | Postcards | 1995 | With Bob Mintzer (tenor sax), Tom Harrell (trumpet), George Mraz (bass), Al Foster (drums) [5] |
| 1997 | Dedication | Reservoir | 1998 | Trio, with David Finck (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) [5] |
| 1997 | Sing Me Softly of the Blues | Venus | 1997 | Trio, with George Mraz (bass), Pete La Roca (drums) |
| 1998 | Love Walked In | Venus | 1998 | Trio, with Buster Williams (bass), Bill Stewart (drums) [5] |
| 1998 | Countdown | Reservoir | 1999 | Trio, with David Finck (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) [5] |
| 1999 | The Best Things | Reservoir | 2000 | Most tracks trio, with David Finck (bass), Billy Drummond (drums); one track quartet, with Luciana Souza (vocals) [5] |
| 2000 | Quiereme Mucho | Venus | 2000 | Trio, with David Finck (bass), Al Foster (drums) |
| 2000 | Promises Kept | ECM | 2004 | Trio, with David Finck (bass), strings [5] |
| 2001 | Temptation | Venus | 2001 | Trio, with Buster Williams (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
| 2002 | Waltz - Blue Side | Venus | 2002 | Trio, with Gary Peacock (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
| 2002 | Waltz - Red Side | Venus | 2002 | Trio, with Eddie Gomez (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
| 2004 | Easy to Love | Venus | 2004 | Trio, with David Finck (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
| 2005 | Pavane for a Dead Princess | Venus | 2006 | Trio, with David Finck (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
| 2006 | Live at Birdland | Blue Note | 2007 | Trio, with Ron Carter (bass), Al Foster (drums); in concert [5] |
| 2006 | Plays Standards | Venus | 2007 | Trio, with Buster Williams (bass), Al Foster (drums) |
| 2007 | Baubles, Bangles And Beads | Venus | 2008 | Trio, with David Finck (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
| 2008 | Mostly Coltrane | ECM | 2009 | Quartet, with Joe Lovano (tenor sax, tárogató), David Finck (bass), Joey Baron (drums) [5] |
| 2010 | I Will Wait for You: The Music of Michel Legrand | Venus | 2010 | Trio, with George Mraz (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
| 2011 | Wisteria | ECM | 2012 | Trio, with Steve Swallow (electric bass), Joey Baron (drums) [5] |
| 2013 | Break of Day | Meantime | 2014 | Co-leader with Karin Krog (vocals) |
| 2015 | At This Time... | Sunnyside | 2016 | Trio, with Steve Swallow (electric bass), Joey Baron (drums) |
| 2017 | To and From the Heart | Sunnyside | 2018 | Trio, with Steve Swallow (electric bass), Joey Baron (drums) |
With Stan Getz
With Steve Swallow
With others
Rocco Scott LaFaro was an American jazz double bassist known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio. LaFaro broke new ground on the instrument, developing a countermelodic style of accompaniment rather than playing traditional walking basslines, as well as virtuosity that was practically unmatched by any of his contemporaries. Despite his short career and death at the age of 25, he remains one of the most influential jazz bassists, and was ranked number 16 on Bass Player magazine's top 100 bass players of all time.
Jack DeJohnette is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer.
Gary Burton is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused him to be heralded as an innovator, and his sound and technique are widely imitated. He is also known for pioneering fusion jazz and popularizing the duet format in jazz, as well as being a major figure in music education from his 30 years teaching at the Berklee College of Music.
James Emory Garrison was an American jazz double bassist. He is best remembered for his association with John Coltrane from 1961 to 1967.
Steve Swallow is an American jazz bassist and composer, known for his collaborations with Jimmy Giuffre, Gary Burton, and Carla Bley. He was one of the first jazz double bassists to switch entirely to electric bass guitar.
Pete "La Roca" Sims was an American jazz drummer and attorney. Born and raised in Harlem by a pianist mother and a stepfather who played trumpet, he was introduced to jazz by his uncle Kenneth Bright, a major shareholder in Circle Records and the manager of rehearsal spaces above the Lafayette Theater. Sims studied percussion at the High School of Music and Art and at the City College of New York, where he played tympani in the CCNY Orchestra. He adopted the name La Roca early in his musical career, when he played timbales for six years in Latin bands. In the 1970s, during a hiatus from jazz performance, he resumed using his original surname. When he returned to jazz in the late 1970s, he usually inserted "La Roca" into his name in quotation marks to help audiences familiar with his early work identify him. He told The New York Times in 1982 that he did so only out of necessity:
I can't deny that I once played under the name La Roca, but I have to insist that my name is Peter Sims with La Roca in brackets or in quotes. For 16 or 17 years, when I have not been playing the music, people have known me as Sims....When I was 14 or 15, I thought ["La Roca"] was clever; right now, it's an embarrassment. I thought that it would be something that people would probably remember - boy, was I ever right on that one! I can't make my conversion.
Leroy Vinnegar was an American jazz bassist. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, the self-taught Vinnegar established his reputation in Los Angeles, California, during the 1950s and 1960s. His trademark was the rhythmic "walking" bass line, a steady series of ascending or descending notes, and it brought him the nickname "The Walker". Besides his jazz work, he also appeared on a number of soundtracks and pop albums, notably Van Morrison's 1972 album, Saint Dominic's Preview.
Sheila Jordan is an American jazz singer and songwriter. She has recorded as a session musician with an array of critically acclaimed artists in addition to recording her own albums. Jordan pioneered a bebop and scat jazz singing style with an upright bass as the only accompaniment. Jordan's music has earned praise from many critics, particularly for her ability to improvise lyrics; Scott Yanow describes her as "one of the most consistently creative of all jazz singers." Charlie Parker often introduced Jordan as "the lady with the million dollar ears."
Adam Nussbaum is an American jazz drummer.
Ronnie Stephenson was an English jazz drummer. He was one of the most in-demand drummers on the British jazz scene in the 1960s.
Coltrane Jazz is a studio album by the jazz musician John Coltrane. It was released in early 1961 on Atlantic Records. Most of the album features Coltrane playing with his former Miles Davis bandmates, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb during two sessions in November and December, 1959. The exception is the track "Village Blues", which was recorded October 21, 1960. "Village Blues" comes from the first recording session featuring Coltrane playing with pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones, who toured and recorded with Coltrane as part of his celebrated "classic quartet" from 1960 to 1965.
Samuel David Bailey was an American jazz drummer.
Marty Morell is a jazz drummer who was a member of the Bill Evans Trio for seven years—longer than any other drummer. Before joining Evans, he worked with the Al Cohn-Zoot Sims Quintet, Red Allen, Gary McFarland, Steve Kuhn, and Gábor Szabó.
Edgar Eugene Summerlin was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and educator known for pioneering Liturgical jazz, avant-garde jazz, and free jazz.
Basra is the debut album by drummer Pete La Roca, recorded in 1965 and released on the Blue Note label.
Home is an album by bassist Steve Swallow recorded in September 1979 and released on the ECM label. The sextet features featuring Sheila Jordan singing the poetry of Robert Creeley, backed by pianist Steve Kuhn, saxophonist David Liebman, Lyle Mays on synthesizer, and drummer Bob Moses.
Remembering Tomorrow is an album by pianist Steve Kuhn recorded in March 1995 and released on ECM April the following year. The trio features rhythm section David Finck and Joey Baron.
Wisteria is a jazz album by pianist Steve Kuhn and his trio, recorded is September 2011 and released on ECM in April the following year.
The Don Heckman–Ed Summerlin Improvisational Jazz Workshop is the first and only album released by the group of the same name, led jointly by alto saxophonist Don Heckman and tenor saxophonist Ed Summerlin, recorded in September 1965 and March 1966, and released in 1967 on their own, recently established Ictus label, with Heckman and Summerlin each composing two of the album's four tracks. The eponymous LP would be re-released the following year on the English Jazz Workshop label as Jax or Bettor.
Dedication is an album by pianist Steve Kuhn which was recorded in 1997 and released on the Reservoir label.
I went from Lonnie Smith's alternatively mellow and raucous set, powered by a bashing drummer, to something quite different: pianist Steve Kuhn's trio. Raised in Newton, Massachusetts, Kuhn was grimly celebrating his 80th birthday.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
