Cary Kilner

Cary Kilner's Picks: Volume 8

Chad Lefkowitz - Yardbird Suite
Continuing with this classic bebop tune, let’s check out another recent version of Yardbird Suite with Chad Lefkowitz, whom we heard last week with the virtual big-band. Check out the rapid-fire section towards the end of his extended solo, along with a very nice new young pianist whom you shall certainly appreciate.
 
Clifford Brown/ Max Roach Group - Daahound
Here is your classic bebop quintet, the famous Clifford Brown/Max Roach group from 1954 on Daahoud, one of my favorite tunes and somewhat difficult to play with its changing sections. Harold Land is on tenor, with George Morrow on bass, and the great Richie Powell on piano, who died young along with Clifford in a car accident. This cut will clearly demonstrate why he was so revered during his short performance life. And you will hear how Max Roach made famous his melodic and very musical way of playing the drum set.
 
Phineas Newborn - Lush Life
Following up on our Billy Strayhorn book from last week, Lush Life, by Phineas Newborn, is absolutely astounding! You will have to listen to it several times to hear all of the nuances of this genius. First, he opens with a famous Debussy tune and then plays some astounding contrapuntal passages on the verse, where one hand goes up the keyboard while the other goes down.
 
Fred Hersch - And So It Goes
You have to love this solo performance, And So It Goes, by Fred Hersch. It is solidly in the tradition of Keith Jarrett’s Facing You and Bill Evan’s Peace Piece.
 
Nathan East - Overjoyed
I told you last week I would find you something by Nathan East, electric bassist in the smooth-jazz group, Fourplay. This tune, Overjoyed, is just gorgeous, and I hope you will like it. Although the lovely harmonica playing sounds like Toots Thielman, it is actually Stevie Wonder, and shows you his beautiful sound as a jazz artist on his own composition.