Sunday 8 March 2009

Steve Kuhn - Ecstasy (1975)


01.Silver
02.Prelude In G
03.Ulla
04.Thoughts Of A Gentleman-The Saga Of Harrison Crabfeathers
05.Life's Backward Glance.

Review by Ken Dryden

Steve Kuhn performs five unaccompanied originals on this 1974 studio session recorded in Norway. "Silver," his fascinating opener, is a haunting ballad with many faces, occasionally mysterious, but generally shimmering. "Prelude in G" features Kuhn's wide-ranging right hand (bordering on avant-garde at times) over a fairly steady vamp. "Ulla" is yet another lovely ballad, though the mood changes with a series of single repeated notes and chords in the second half of the piece, possibly symbolizing the passing of time and the fading of a love affair. "Thoughts of a Gentleman/The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers" seems like a title more suitable to a Dave Frishberg composition, but this extended work is anything but tongue in cheek. "Life's Backward Glance" mixes avant-garde and post-bop, with a somewhat classical flavor. Beautifully recorded by engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug, this out of print ECM LP is well worth seeking.

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