Steve Kuhn Trio - Pavane For A Dead Princess (2005) [2014 SACD]

Pianist Steve Kuhn, accompanied by David Finck and Billy Drummond, explore classical works by a number of top composers from the 19th and 20th centuries on this Japanese release, though they are used as a launching pad for improvisation. Maurice Ravel's "Pavane for a Dead Princess" is recast as a soft samba, also incorporating a bit of an earlier standard that was derived from the French Impressionist's piece, "The Lamp Is Low." Chopin is obviously one of Kuhn's favorite classical composers, as three of his features, highlighted by a dreamy setting of "Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2." He brightens the tempo of Claude Debussy's "Reverie" while retaining its lyricism, while slowing Johannes Brahms' "Lullaby" to a crawl and demonstrating how a master jazz pianist utilizes space as an element of improvisation.

Tracks:

01. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows〜Fantasy Impromptu 《 F. Chopin 》
02. Pavane For A Dead Princess 《 M. Ravel 》
03. Moon Love〜Symphony #5 2nd Movement 《 P. Tchaikovsky 》
04. One Red Rose Forever〜Ich Liebe Dich 《 E. Grieg 》
05. Swan Lake 《 P. Tchaikovsky 》
06. Nocturne In E♭Major Op9, No2 《 F. Chopin 》
07. Reverie 《 C. Debussy 》
08. Prelude In E Minor Op28, No4《 F. Chopin 》
09. Full Moon And Empty Arms
〜Piano Concerto #2 3rd Movement 《 S. Rachmaninov 》
10. Pavane 《 G. Faure》
11. Lullaby 《 J. Brahms 》

Personnel:

Steve Kuhn - piano
David Finck - bass
Billy Drummond - drums