Steve Kuhn

This article is about the American Jazz musician. For other uses, see Steve Kuhn (disambiguation).

Steve Kuhn
Kuhn at the Oslo Jazz Festival in 2017
Background information
Born	(1938-03-24) March 24, 1938 (age 87) 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] He is the composer of the jazz standard "The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers".

Biography

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 ]}

Discography

As leader/co-leader

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)

Compilations

• Life's Backward Glances (ECM, 2009) – Solo Piano, Trios, and Quartets with Steve Slagle or Sheila Jordan
• Essential Best (Venus, 2011) ^[7]

As sideman

With Stan Getz

• 1961: Recorded Fall 1961 with Bob Brookmeyer (Verve, 1961)
• 1961: At Birdland 1961 (Fresh Sound, 2012)
• 1963: Stan Getz With Guest Artist Laurindo Almeida with Laurindo Almeida (Verve, 1966)

With Steve Swallow

• 1979: Home (ECM, 1980)
• 1991: Swallow (XtraWATT, 1992)

With others

• David Darling, Cycles (ECM, 1982) – recorded in 1981
• Kenny Dorham, Jazz Contemporary (Time, 1960)
• Art Farmer, Sing Me Softly of the Blues (Atlantic, 1965)
• Don Heckman and Ed Summerlin, The Don Heckman–Ed Summerlin Improvisational Jazz Workshop (Ictus, 1967) – recorded in 1965–66
• Jameszoo, Fool (Brainfeeder, 2016)
• Sheila Jordan, Jazz Child (HighNote, 1997)
• Lee Konitz, Pony Poindexter, Phil Woods and Leo Wright, Alto Summit (MPS, 1968)
• Karin Krog, We Could Be Flying (Polydor, 1975)
• Charles McPherson, But Beautiful (Vinus, 2004) – recorded in 2003
• Bob Mintzer, Bop Boy with Eddie Gomez and Steve Gadd (Explore, 2002)
• Tisziji Munoz, Incomprehensibly Gone (Anami, 2013)
• Oliver Nelson, Sound Pieces (Impulse!, 1967) – recorded in 1966
• John Rae, Opus de Jazz 2 (Savoy, 1960)
• Pete La Roca, Basra (Blue Note, 1965)
• Pee Wee Russell and Henry "Red" Allen, The College Concert (Impulse!, 1966) – live
• Tessa Souter, Beyond The Blue (Vinus, 2012) – recorded in 2011

References

1. Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1410. ISBN   0-85112-939-0.
2. Ullman, Michael (November 2018). "The Jazz Column". Fanfare. p. 582. ProQuest   2120136582. 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.
3. "Steve Kuhn Albums". Freshsoundrecords.com. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
4. Derradji, Jerome (January 30, 2014). "Forgotten Classics: Steve Kuhn's Trance". Fact Magazine. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
5. Fitzgerald, Michael (May 13, 2013). "Steve Kuhn Discography". Jazzdiscography.com. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
6. Collar, Matt. "Steve Kuhn: The Vanguard Date". AllMusic . Retrieved February 10, 2019.
7. "Essential Best". Venus Records (in Japanese).

External links

• Steve Kuhn discography at JazzDiscography.com
• Steve Kuhn on ECM Records
• Steve Kuhn at SunnysideRecords.com
• Interview with Steve Kuhn
• Steve Kuhn in-studio performance from WGBH Radio Boston
• NY Times -- Steve Kuhn: Revisiting an Old Boss Named John Coltrane
• Steve Kuhn Interview NAMM Oral History Library (1997)