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Jazz Articles about Kirk Knuffke
Karl Berger: Heart Is A Melody
by Dave Linn
Karl Berger, one of the more unsung and underrated jazz musicians of our time, passed away on April 9, 2023. He had just turned 88 years old. Berger released several dozen albums as a leader and scores more as a sideman. His discography reads like a Who's Who of modern jazz. He recorded with people such as Don Cherry, Bill Laswell, Carla Bley, Anthony Braxton, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Charles Mingus, Lee Konitz and John McLaughlin, among many more. Berger ...
Continue ReadingYelena Eckemoff: Lonely Man and His Fish
by Dan McClenaghan
A Moscow-raised, classically-trained pianist, Yelena Eckemoff made the move to the United States in 1991, after being bitten by the jazz bug via a Dave Brubeck concert she attended in Moscow in 1987. In 2010, after settling with her family in rural North Carolina, she released Cold Sun (L & H Records), a trio outing featuring bassist Mads Vinding and drummer Peter Erskine. She followed up this fine debut with several more albums, all on her L & H Label, ...
Continue ReadingKirk 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 ...
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