Steve Khan: Borrowed Time

To say that Steve Khan has been around would be an understatement. He's got more than twenty CDs as a bandleader or co-leader. And he's appeared as a studio guest on numerous releases by other artists, including Maynard Ferguson and Steely Dan. For the latter, Khan performed the brilliant closing solo on "Glamour Profession, from Gaucho (MCA, 1980). He's also worked with Rob Mounsey, The Brecker Brothers and Joe Zawinul.

Among his honors, Khan was named among the twenty-two All-Time Greatest Jazz Guitarists by Japan's Jazz Life magazine, a listing that included George Benson, Larry Coryell, Django Reinhardt, Pat Metheny and Khan's early inspiration, Wes Montgomery.

Borrowed Time features Khan supported by some familiar faces, including John Patitucci, Jack DeJohnette, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker and Mounsey. The album is a mix of jazz standards, original songs and other titles.

"I Mean You is a swinging jazz piece written by Thelonious Monk and Coleman Hawkins. With Patitucci on acoustic bass and DeJohnette on drums, this is a freely expressive track. Percussionists Ralph Irizarry and Roberto Quintero add a nice touch, but it's Khan's lead and solos by Patitucci and DeJohnette that make this track sizzle.

"El Faquir, one of two Khan originals, features Mintzer on bass clarinet, Patitucci, DeJohnette, Geeta Roy on tamboura, and several percussionists. Though a new cut, this song is a bit of a throwback to the late 1960s and early 1970s work of artists like Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis and Chick Corea. It's a story told by instruments, with Mintzer carrying much of the lead. The background instruments are very much involved in painting the scene.

Khan, Patitucci, DeJohnette, Irizarry and Quintero bring it home on the cover of McCoy Tyner's "Hymn Song. The Latin rhythm makes this a dance song as much as it's made for listening.

Covering the range from straight jazz and free-form to Latin and groove, Borrowed Time is aptly named, even if only because one could easily get lost in the sounds. At about seventy-five minutes' running time, there's plenty of time to be borrowed while listening. This album is an excellent follow-up to Khan's The Green Field (Tone Center, 2006).