Steve Kuhn has recorded a wide variety of music in his career, sometimes as a sideman (including with
Sheila Jordan,
Art Farmer,
Kenny Dorham and
Stan Getz), and more often as a leader. On
Pastorale, he returns to his bop-oriented roots. Playing straight-ahead jazz with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer
Billy Drummond,
Kuhn digs into seven vintage standards plus two of his originals.
Kuhn hints at both
Bud Powell and Bill Evans in spots while retaining his own musical personality. His improvisations are thoughtful, often joyful and always intriguing, really uplifting "Charade" and coming up with fresh variations to "Remember." This is one of
Kuhn's most accessible dates and is highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow