Live At Birdland

Steve Kuhn | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 22, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note
• ASIN: B000MM0L7S
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,996 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Even though he accompanied any number of legends during the late 1950s and '60s, Steve Kuhn doesn't have the name recognition of other jazz artists who came of age during that period. But few pianists have maintained as high a standard as he has in the mainstream trio setting. Live at Birdland, which occasions the reunion of one of his best threesomes--the bassist is Ron Carter, the drummer Al Foster, both Miles Davis alumni--is one of his most consistently engaging albums. A keen intelligence and lively wit is at work on this tuneful terrain, which ranges from the shifting tempos and tones of "Jitterbug Waltz" to the luminous reflection of Carter's "Little Waltz" (which the bassist graces with a lovely solo) to the lovely intersection between Billy Strayhorn's "Passion Flower" and a Debussy waltz, "La Plus Que Lente." There's a romping aspect to the set as well: In his late 60s, Kuhn has lost nothing in speed or agility, rendering Kenny Dorham's "Lotus Blossom" with light-fingered brilliance. If another pianist hadn't stolen the "State of the Art" tag, he certainly could hang out that shingle on this album, one of the most enjoyable in this vein in quite some time. --Lloyd Sachs

Product Description

Live At Birdland by Steve Kuhn Trio

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LIVE & ON FIRE AT BIRDLAND: ONE OF THE STEVE KUHN TRIO'S FINEST HOURS, March 3, 2007

By 

RBSProds "rbsprods" (Deep in the heart of Texas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Live At Birdland (Audio CD)

Five HUGE Stars!! The triumvirate of Steve Kuhn, Ron Carter, & Al Foster is caught live at 'Birdland' in a fiery, magnificent performance full of fresh, sparkling, and highly inventive jazz. This is clearly one of piano giant Steve Kuhn's finest recorded performances: a huge statement in light of his decades of stellar performances like "Oceans in the Sky", and going all the way back to his wonderous trio debut "Three Waves" with Steve Swallow and Pete LaRoca. Ron Carter is superb, playing some truly memorable solos, as is Al Foster who lays down melodic, smoking drum solos and support. I saw this particular group live at 'Fat Tuesdays' in New York a decade ago, so this association is long term, and this CD even surpasses that performance. Kuhn & Co also throw down some great 'quotes' that peek around the corners of many of the songs, almost becoming the song at times before vanishing. Trust me, the sound samples from this CD that I've heard around the web don't do justice to the great jazz awaiting the listener on this vividly recorded Blue Note release.

The 'Pieces De Resistance', the best of these great performances, begin with a smoking "Lotus Blossom" that burns from beginning to end with Kuhn's right hand ablaze with invention, while the left hand dishes up some surprises, even for longtime fans. The trusty standard "Stella by Starlight" is completely transformed into a work of high improvisational art that never completely reveals itself, taunting and mesmerizing the listener to the very end. (If you remember "Never Let Me Go" from 'Three Waves', you know the level of artistry this achieves.) Ron Carter lays down one of his best recorded solos here and on his own wonderfully quote-laden "Little Waltz". A quote from "Waltzing Matilda" pops up in a great rendition of Charlie Parker's "Confirmation" and totally works. The balmy Sergio Mendes/Lani Hall-vocalized classic "Slow Hot Wind" cooks at medium tempo under Carter's walking bass as Kuhn re-constructs it. A splendid "La Plus Que Lente/Passion Flower" is the expected latin-tempo song at which Kuhn excels (note Carter's allusion to Dizzy's "Manteca"). "Two by Two" is a jazzed-up funky blues that simmers and sparkles with a well-placed single-stop and great Kuhn, Carter and Foster solos. At age 69, a fleet, nimble, brilliant Steve Kuhn is still 'heating the cookers' and 'burnishing the ballads' as good as ever before. A 'not to be missed' performance!! My Highest Recommendation! Five HUGE Stars!

(*This review is based on an ITunes digital download of 10 tracks, 75 minutes.
* Trivia: Steve Kuhn was John Coltrane's first pianist at the dawn of Trane's legendary quartets. Kuhn has also played with Stan Getz, Oliver Nelson, Art Farmer, Gary McFarland, Pete LaRoca, Scott LaFaro, Sheila Jordan, Harvie Swartz, and Joe Henderson, among many others.)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid and Stylish, March 16, 2007

By 

E. C Goodstein (Northern CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Live At Birdland (Audio CD)

If this isn't my very favorite Steve Kuhn album, it's still very stylish, creative and lovely. It's nice to hear these vets together in live setting and Kuhn remains one of the best unheralded players. I
would still go first for his trio albums with David Finck and Billy Drummond (mostly on Reservoir I think), or some of the ECM titles for their 'experimentalism.' This one shows another side though. Very fine stuff.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a nice evening out, June 28, 2007

By 

Case Quarter (CT USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Live At Birdland (Audio CD)

a light deft touch marks kuhn's style. had me thinking of art tatum and oscar peterson. if i were a bell reminded me of miles' rendition on relaxin' with miles. some other jazz standards, a selection written by kenny dorham, trumpeter, two kuhn originals. one of my favorites, jitterbug waltz by fats waller, has me regretful i was not at birdland the night this was recorded, what a nice night that must had been. and you can't go wrong with al foster and ron carter, little waltz written by carter. a theme of music and flowers, two waltzes, a passion flower and a lotus blossom, in starlight, a slow hot wind blowing. this could be a presumptuous picture in other hands, kuhn, nicely, carries it off.