Frank Kimbrough Quartet

I have been following pianist Frank Kimbrough's work with interest, both on these blogs (as a sideman) and when I wrote for Cadence. His latest is simply titled Frank Kimbrough Quartet (Palmetto).

Kimbrough is a pianist with an original sense and good compositions. Here he fronts an excellent quartet with associates he has played with in various contexts for some time. The ease with which they dig into the material shows us this. There is the formidable Steve Wilson on alto and soprano, Jay Anderson on bass and Lewis Nash on drums, names which need no introduction if you follow the music.

Kimbrough and associates lead us through a lively set of ten numbers, mostly originals, that vary from a post-Jarrettian gospel-tinged number to some rousing swingers, all showing the skills of the various artists in an excellent light.

Steve comes through with soul and nuance; Frank sounds inspired and the rhythm team of Anderson and Nash prevail with a model set of performances.

It is very much music in the spirit of the present, straightforward but complex and firey enough to keep you listening, contemporary in the best sense of the word. Recommended!