1. And This Is My Beloved Nocturne From "Strings Quartet No.2"
   2. Till The End Of Time Polonaise No.53
   3. Symphony No.3, 3rd Movement
   4. If You Are But A Dream Romance
   5. Stranger In Paradise Plovetzian Dance							play
   6. Gymnopedie No.1
   7. I Think Of You Piano Concerto No.2, 1st Movement Op.18
   8. Prelude In C Minor No.20, Op28								play
   9. I Look At Heaven Piano Concerto in A Minor Op6, 1st Movement
  10. Baubles,Bangles And Beads Strings Quartet No.2 in D
  11. Vilia From "The Merry Widow"
  12. Prelude No.7, Op28

Musicians:
Steve Kuhn (piano); 
Dave Finck (bass); 
Billy Drummond (drums).

This trio session by Steve Kuhn includes classical works and pieces adapted into pop songs decades ago. He initially studied classical music as a young man with the mother of baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff, so he is well grounded in the music. With bassist Dave Finck and Billy Drummond accompanying him, Kuhn's driving, boppish treatments of "Till the End of Time" (based upon Chopin's Polonaise No. 53) and "Stranger in Paradise" (taken from Borodin's Plovetzian Dance) sizzle with energy. His vibrant waltz setting of Erik Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1 is far removed from the Impressionist composer's minimalist conception, with Finck's arco bass solo adding an interesting touch. Borodin's "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" was a favorite of baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan during the 1950s; the trio's introspective approach works equally well. While classical listeners who are unfamiliar with jazz may have reservations, jazz fans will savor these outstanding performances. ---Ken Dryden, allmusic.com

Steve Kuhn is a highly inventive & innovative jazz pianist and composer whose pianism can go from to avant-garde to traditional hard bop, with classical influences. He is normally associated with the music of his remarkable jazz trios. He began lessons at an early age and was a student of the legendary classical teacher Margaret Chaloff. He began playing in clubs with jazz masters like Serge Chaloff, Chet Baker, and Coleman Hawkins as a teenager. He graduated from Harvard and the Lenox School of Music where he was guided by the likes of George Russell, Ornette Coleman, Gunther Schuller, and Bill Evans. He began his formal jazz career with Kenny Dorham and was the first pianist for the John Coltrane quartet. Mr Kuhn has also played with Stan Getz, Oliver Nelson, Ron Carter, Billy Higgins, Steve Swallow, Pete La Roca Sims, Gary McFarland, Miroslav Vitos, Art Farmer, Scott LaFaro, David Finck, and Joe Henderson. Notable recordings: "Three Waves" with Swallow and La Roca, "Basra" with Swallow, La Roca, and Henderson. "The October Suite" with the Gary McFarland Orchestra, "Promises Kept" with a string ensemble under Carlos Franzetti's baton, "Live at Birdland" with Ron Carter and Al Foster. Five decades into his career, he remains very active in touring and recording.

download (mp3 @320 kbs):

uploaded yandex 4shared mega mediafire solidfiles zalivalka cloudmailru oboom

back

1.Alone Together
2.Golden Earrings
3.I Wish I Knew
4.Left Alone
5.Blue Bossa
6.Nature Boy
7.Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
8.You Leave Me Breathless
9.Oceans In The Sky
10.I See Your Face Before Me
11.Love Letters
12.Beautiful Love
13.It Might As Well Be Spring

Musicians:
Steve Kuhn - piano
Buster WIlliams - bass
Al Foster – drums

Veteran jazz pianist Steve Kuhn has proved to be a popular artist in Japan, recording a series of CDs for the Japanese label Venus. On these 2006 sessions, Kuhn is joined by bassist Buster Williams and drummer Al Foster, two artists who also have extensive résumés. While the CD is titled Plays Standards, Kuhn doesn't stick exclusively to well-known works. In addition to Victor Young's widely recognized "Beautiful Love" (a favorite of pianist Bill Evans), the pianist offers a seductive take of the composer's "Golden Earrings" and a lighthearted, breezy setting of "Love Letters" as well. Kuhn's intense workout of "Alone Together" includes an amusing detour into Thelonious Monk's "Locomotive," while his revamping of "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" disguises the tune rather well. Kuhn also revisits his original "Oceans in the Sky," a brilliant piece evocative of a coming storm. Highly recommended. ---Ken Dryden, allmusic.com

download (mp3 @ kbs):

uploaded yandex 4shared

mega mediafire solidfiles zalivalka cloudmailru oboom

back

01. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (7:26)
02. Pavane for a Dead Princess (6:30)
03. Moon Love - Symphony #5 2nd Movement (6:53)
04. One Read Rose Forever - Ich Liebe Dich (5:36)        play
05. Swan Lake (6:13)
06. Nocturne in Eb Major Op9, No2 (6:42)
07. Reverie (8:13)
08. Prelude in E Minor Op28 No4 (5:47)
09. Full Moon and Empty Arms - Piano Concerto #2 3rd movement (6:55)
10. Pavane (6:36)
11. Lullaby (3:37)                                      play

Musicians:
Steve Kuhn: piano; 
David Finck: bass; 
Billy Drummond: drums.

Anything that pianist Steve Kuhn does is likely to be beautifully executed and tasteful, and Pavane for a Dead Princess is no exception. Here, he and his empathic collaborators David Finck (bass) and Billy Drummond (drums) address themselves to the stock classical repertoire, jazzing up eleven popular pieces from Debussy, Rachmaninov, Tchaikowsky, Grieg, Brahms and Chopin. (There are actually two "Pavane"s—the title track, by Ravel, and Faure's version.) The result is nothing less than terrific. These are not classical melodies sitting stiffly on a jazz beat; instead, the trio digs deep into the structure of these well-worn compositions and thoroughly explores and expands them. Who knew "Swan Lake" or "Fantasy Impromptu" could swing like that? Or that Brahms's treacly "Lullaby" would make such a moving ballad? Listeners familiar with this music in its original form will get the biggest kick out of this release, and those who've been intimate with Chopin's piano scores will especially appreciate the brilliance of Kuhn's improvisations. But any listener can enjoy what happens to strong, beautiful melodies in expert hands like these. The recording is clear and warm, the pacing ideal. The musicians are in peak form, sounding positively inspired, and they swing like mad. What a delight! --Dr. Judith Schlesinger. AAJ.

Pianist Steve Kuhn, accompanied by David Finck and Billy Drummond, explore classical works by a number of top composers from the 19th and 20th centuries on this Japanese release, though they are used as a launching pad for improvisation. Maurice Ravel's "Pavane for a Dead Princess" is recast as a soft samba, also incorporating a bit of an earlier standard that was derived from the French Impressionist's piece, "The Lamp Is Low." Chopin is obviously one of Kuhn's favorite classical composers, as three of his features, highlighted by a dreamy setting of "Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2." He brightens the tempo of Claude Debussy's "Reverie" while retaining its lyricism, while slowing Johannes Brahms' "Lullaby" to a crawl and demonstrating how a master jazz pianist utilizes space as an element of improvisation. Classical purists are always upset with jazz arrangements of "their" music, but anyone who loves both musical worlds will appreciate Steve Kuhn's thoughtful arrangements of music that has easily stood the test of time. --Ken Dryden, All Music Guide.

download (mp3 @320 kbs):

uploaded yandex 4shared mega mediafire solidfiles zalivalka cloudmailru oboom

back

1.  Super Jet (T. Dameron)    [05:30]
2.  Dear Old Stockholm (Trad)    [06:28]
3.  Emily (J. Mandel)    [07:16]
4.  Airegin (S. Rollins)    [04:44]				play
5.  Morning Dew (S. Kuhn)    [06:00]
6.  New Valley (D. Finck)    [06:51]
7.  Dream Dancing (C. Porter)    [08:04]
8.  Two For The Road (H. Mancini)    [05:15]	play
9.  Be My Love (N. Brodsky)    [09:17]
10.  Easy To Love (C. Porter)    [06:11]

Musicians:
Steve Kuhn (piano); 
David Finck (bass); 
Billy Drummond (drums).

Steve Kuhn is a highly inventive & innovative jazz pianist and composer whose pianism can go from to avant-garde to traditional hard bop, with classical influences. He is normally associated with the music of his remarkable jazz trios. He began lessons at an early age and was a student of the legendary classical teacher Margaret Chaloff. He began playing in clubs with jazz masters like Serge Chaloff, Chet Baker, and Coleman Hawkins as a teenager. He graduated from Harvard and the Lenox School of Music where he was guided by the likes of George Russell, Ornette Coleman, Gunther Schuller, and Bill Evans. He began his formal jazz career with Kenny Dorham and was the first pianist for the John Coltrane quartet. Mr Kuhn has also played with Stan Getz, Oliver Nelson, Ron Carter, Billy Higgins, Steve Swallow, Pete La Roca Sims, Gary McFarland, Miroslav Vitos, Art Farmer, Scott LaFaro, David Finck, and Joe Henderson. Notable recordings: "Three Waves" with Swallow and La Roca, "Basra" with Swallow, La Roca, and Henderson. "The October Suite" with the Gary McFarland Orchestra, "Promises Kept" with a string ensemble under Carlos Franzetti's baton, "Live at Birdland" with Ron Carter and Al Foster. Five decades into his career, he remains very active in touring and recording.

download (mp3 @192 kbs):

uploaded yandex 4shared mega mediafire solidfiles zalivalka cloudmailru oboom

back

01.Temptation
02.Dark Eyes
03.You Better Go Now
04.The Summer Knows
05.Love Is Here To Stay
06.Django					play
07.A Likely Story
08.I Can’t Get Started

Personnel:
Steve Kuhn (piano);
Buster Williams (bass);
Billy Drummond (drums).

Steve Kuhn mixes standards and forgotten gems in these 2001 studio sessions with bassist Buster Williams and drummer Billy Drummond. Beginning with a tantalizing take of "Temptation" that has a slight Latin undercurrent, Kuhn finds new directions in these timeless pieces. "Dark Eyes" is another gem that has long fallen out of favor, though Kuhn's intricate workout demonstrates that there is plenty of life left in this decades-old warhorse. His treatment of Michel Legrand's "The Summer Knows" (written as theme music for the early-'70s film Summer of '42) is a bit jagged rather than the usual setting as a straight, slow, bittersweet ballad. John Lewis' "Django" has long been a favorite of jazz musicians, and the trio's elegant setting opens with an imaginative improvisation, slowly working into its well-known theme. Kuhn's sole original, "A Likely Story," is a driving post-bop vehicle that never runs out of steam. It's hard to go wrong by purchasing any Steve Kuhn CD, and this is among his best dates. --- Ken Dryden, AMG

download (mp3 @320 kbs):

uploaded yandex 4shared mega mediafire solidfiles zalivalka cloudmailru oboom

back