This is the official site of jazz pianist and composer Frank Kimbrough; it includes a biography, discography, itinerary, photos, links, and information on his musical activities.
New on Palmetto Records:
Frank Kimbrough - solo piano - Air, featuring original compositions and tunes by Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and Paul Motian
"Frank Kimbrough has a great deal of experience playing solo piano...yet somehow "Air" is his first solo album. Fittingly, rewardingly, it's a mature and personal reflection. He approaches each theme with generosity and composure....His readings of Monk's "Coming On The Hudson" and "Jackie-ing", both resplendent in tensions, hint at an elusive mastery."
Nate Chinen, The New York Times"Air belongs to a genre that might be called "private solo piano recordings." To say that Air feels even more inner-directed and austere than most recordings in this genre is not a putdown. Kimbrough is a serious searcher and an original thinker, and Air is a high-level recital. The description is a warning to those interested in cheap piano thrills....He does not play licks and never coasts and his fresh designs are always developing, even when they barely move. Kimbrough's journeys come upon many subtle revelations of color and mood and graceful turns into sudden light."
Thomas Conrad, Jazz Times
"Air is a terrific piece of work, one of the half-dozen or so great solo piano albums of the past few years.... I’ve been listening to Kimbrough for 20 years now, ever since he was a protégé of Shirley Horn, up through his years as co-director (with bassist Ben Allison) of the Jazz Composers Collective, his longtime stint in Maria Schneider’s Jazz Orchestra, and his occasional projects with Joe Locke, Paul Bley, and Paul Motian. But I have never heard him play with such freedom, virtuosity, and gorgeous lyricism—all at once—as on these sessions.... The sound quality is warm and percussive. Buy this."
Fred Kaplan, Stereophile.com"Frank Kimbrough is at his most subtle and contemplative on this solo piano album full of sly wit and lovely melody. His combination of tenderheartedness and mental toughness is a rare one, indeed. The music's emotional depth and directness, leavened with unexpected quirks and imaginative touches, make it a consistently rewarding album. Kimbrough's music has always been marked by its subtlety and charm, but this solo outing really lets those virtues shine through.
Ed Hazell, Jazziz"This is a beautiful recording, quite contemplative, and richly melodic.....there is not a weak moment in the program. "Air" feels like winter music, as if one should just curl up on the couch and let the sound drop down from the speakers like soft snow. Kimbrough is not a reticent pianist; he has no fear of thorny chords or ragged rhythms, but there is a romantic edge to his work, an area where melody reigns supreme. This is a sweet recording, one that pays no mind to current musical convention and therefore has a timeless feel."
Richard B. Kamins, (Hartford)Courant.com****
"...a spirited, humanistic solo date...Kimbrough uncovers fresh leaves of Paul Motian, rare Duke Ellington, and two homages to Thelonious Monk that, with the best of such, veer into uncharted territories; for all its echoes and resonances, he spreads his new wrinkle less like a furrowed brow that the crease of a wide smile"
Fred Bouchard, Downbeat
contents © Frank Kimbrough
Photo © Ray Gawlak