Frank Kimbrough "The Quickening"

I randomly picked this CD out of a large stack the other day, thought to myself, "I guarantee that I've never even heard this before," and popped it in. Can't say I recall ever listening to this but maybe that's a good thing cause man was I blown away.



Frank Kimbrough is often described as an "inside/outside" improviser. Most of these tunes are solidly hard-bop, but Kimbrough isn't afraid to take his piano improvisations a little out there. This record reminds of a lot of the more "out there" Blue Note stuff... Cecil Taylor, Andrew Hill, Eric Dolphy. Artists who played in the distinctly hard bop mode but stretched things a little bit.

Quickening is a live release, recorded in 1998 at New York City's New School University, and released 4 years later on the Omnitone label. I've shared two tracks here, "Svengali" and the title track. "Svengali" is all about the groove established between bassist Ben Allison and drummer Jeff Ballard. Slow and mournful, with Kimbrough dancing around the rhythm. "Quickening" is a little more disjointed, certainly more angular and busy.

Really great piano trio record. Download these tracks and if you dig em, snag the album here.

The Quickening (Omnitone, 2003)
Frank Kimbrough - p
Ben Allison - b
Jeff Ballard d

1. Quickening
2. Cascade Rising
3. Chant
4. Clara's Room
5. Svengali
6. For Duke
7. TMI
8. Ancestor