Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Frank Kimbrough: Rumors

335

Frank Kimbrough: Rumors

Frank Kimbrough: Rumors
As a leader, pianist Frank Kimbrough's primary means of expression has been the trio format and a refined casualness permeates Rumors. Never harried, his ideas spill from the keys to be absorbed and distilled by bassist Masa Kamaguchi and drummer Jeff Hirshfield. The trio's affinity is manifest in the broad communication heard within the music.

They subtly ease into the slow-building opener, "Six," the only non-Kimbrough composition; he evinces a delicate touch that Kamaguchi responds to with thick thrumming support, colored by Hirshfield's understated cymbal accents. Flowing piano opens "TMI" with a bit of swagger, as the bass and drums settle into a lightly skittering groove for Kimbrough's clustered bursts, before lulling to a freer section that features Kamaguchi. The leader's solo introduces "Hope" and, with lengthening lines, his masterful key inflections impart emotive heft, befitting the title.

The title track was first recorded on trumpeter Ron Horton's Subtextures (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2003) and is given a subdued, less emphatic reading, Kimbrough hinting at the theme with oblique articulation. He maintains the harmonic movement to accompany his solo, working back to the theme with a trilling finale that Hirshfield beautifully mirrors on a cymbal in near unison. The drummer stretches out on the fleet stuttering of "Over," building drama with his low tom and dynamic variation, before passing to Kamaguchi, who plays off the theme's staccato angularity. "For Andrew," dedicated to the late pianist Andrew Hill, closes the set, a poignant tribute with a simmering, ascending melodic line.

Kimbrough's flexible approach to the trio form—informed by but not beholden to tradition—highlights his artistry, aided by his lithe rhythm section's full participation in the music.

Track Listing

Six; TMI; Hope; Rumors; Sure As We're Here; Forsythia; Over; For Andrew.

Personnel

Frank Kimbrough: piano; Masa Kamaguchi: bass; Jeff Hirshfield: drums.

Album information

Title: Rumors | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Palmetto Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

Near

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.