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Kirk Knuffke / Michael Bisio: For You I Don't Want To Go
by John Sharpe
At the root of successful enduring partnerships lies trust. Without it you need detailed instructions to make things work. Cornetist Kirk Knuffke and bassist Michael Bisio enjoy trust in spades. It allows them to dispense with signposts and cues, relying instead on the inspiration which comes from experience, skill and a shared purpose. Their collaborations include Requiem For A New York Slice (Relative Pitch, 2019) and Art Spirit (ESP, 2021), as well as their first duo outing Row For William ...
Continue ReadingKirk Knuffke / Michael Bisio: For You I Don’t Want To Go
by Mark Corroto
The oft-quoted description of a sitting meditation practice, “It's simple but not easy," might be a fitting characterization of this duo performance by cornetist Kirk Knuffke and bassist Michael Bisio. The equanimous and imperturbable approach the pair apply to this single 36-minute composition/recording dares one to disregard the high level of musicianship employed. Don't be drawn into that trap. For You I Don't Want To Go is a follow up to Row For William O (Relative Pitch Records, 2016) and ...
Continue ReadingKirk Knuffke: Gravity without Airs
by John Sharpe
The first evidence of cornetist Kirk Knuffke's hook up with Michael Bisio surfaced on the bassist's alluring Accortet (Relative Pitch, 2015), presaging a continuing string of further collaborations. So perhaps it was inevitable that another Bisio mainstay, pianist Matthew Shipp, would enter into the mix at some point. The surprise is that it is on a date under Knuffke's leadership, which has produced the double album Gravity Without Airs, with six cuts credited to the cornetist, while the other eight ...
Continue ReadingKirk Knuffke Trio: Gravity without Airs
by Angelo Leonardi
«Mi interessa fare della bella musica--dice il cornettista Kirk Knuffke--Anche se questa è in forma libera e d'avanguardia voglio che arrivi al cuore delle persone. Mi piace suonare veloce, forte e alto ma la bellezza è sempre al primo posto, anche se non in forme preziose. Può esserlo anche in modo ruvido». Sono parole che illustrano bene questo doppio album inciso col pianista Matthew Shipp e il contrabbassista Michael Bisio. Anche se Knuffke ha collaborato più volte ...
Continue ReadingFrank Kimbrough, Kirk Knuffke, Masa Kamaguchi: Ancestors
by Angelo Leonardi
Come hanno sottolineato i molti partner di Frank Kimbrough nel recente omaggio della Newvelle Records, c'è sempre stata una chiara vena lirica nell'arte musicale del pianista, espressa in equilibrio tra dimensione tradizionale e ricerca astratta. Nei suoi dischi da leader amava esibirsi in duo o in trio e quest'album postumo—registrato nel 2017—mostra già dall'organico la propensione a esplorare sentieri meno battuti. Assieme a Kirk Knuffke alla cornetta e Masa Kamaguchi al contrabbasso, Kimbrough presenta sette composizioni originali, tre ...
Continue ReadingMichael Bisio - Kirk Knuffke - Fred Lonberg-Holm: The Art Spirit
by Mark Corroto
If you thought Requiem For A New York Slice (Iluso Records, 2019) from bassist Michael Bisio, cornetist Kirk Knuffke, and cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm was a one-off recording, you were mistaken, and thankfully so. Interestingly enough, The Art Spirit was actually recorded a couple weeks before Requiem and it is the continuation of a beautiful relationship begun with the Bisio-Knuffke duo session Row For William O. (Relative Pitch Records, 2016). Housekeeping aside, these three musicians are making magic here.
Continue ReadingJames Brandon Lewis: Jesup Wagon
by Mark Corroto
Most listeners have long since moved saxophonist James Brandon Lewis from the rising star category to one labeled virtuoso. But then, pianist Matthew Shipp signaled this status when he mentored Lewis early on and certainly bassist William Parker ordained his arrival by recording with the saxophonist on his major label debut, Divine Travels (Okeh, 2014). Parker returns for this latest release, as does drummer Chad Taylor who can be heard on the quartet recording Molecular (Intakt Records, 2020) and two ...
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