专辑简介

by Brian OlewnickA follow-up to their enjoyable Easy to Read on Owl, this recording finds the same trio in a live performance in Paris. Kuhn is an extremely facile pianist (perhaps overly so) with a very bright, engaging tone and a predilection toward lyricism even in his most "outside" moments. On up-tempo numbers like the opening "Changement" or "Guylene" (reprised from the earlier album), he ripples along effortlessly, propelled by a stalwart and creative rhythm team. One hears more than a bit of Paul Bley in Kuhn's playing, and even the thematic material of pieces like "Guylene" show a strong Bley influence. When he gets to more romantic material, however, like Gato Barbieri's "Last Tango in Paris" or "Yesterdays," he tends to get overly sentimental and bathetic. At its best, this date provides high-octane mainstream jazz with a touch of free playing. One might wish to hear a more individual sound from the band but, all in all, it's a worthwhile recording.