Steve Kuhn was the original pianist in the
John Coltrane Quartet, though he was replaced by
McCoy Tyner after two months, as
Tyner had been
Coltrane's initial choice. Though he never recorded with
Coltrane, he is steeped in the late saxophonist's music; this tribute covers music from many phases of his career. With tenor saxophonist
Joe Lovano, bassist
David Finck, and drummer
Joey Baron (the latter two being part of the pianist's working trio),
Kuhn had the challenge of tackling mostly well-known
Coltrane compositions and standards without sounding like a clone, even though he was utilizing the same instrumentation. Fortunately,
Kuhn's approach to playing is very distinctly different from
McCoy Tyner, while any hints of
Coltrane's influence on
Lovano are brief.
Billy Eckstine's "I Want to Talk About You" shimmers in the pianist's reserved, lyrical trio setting (omitting saxophone), while "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" bursts with energy, with
Lovano making a delayed entrance well into the piece. One of the most unusual tracks is "Spiritual," with
Lovano playing the tárogató, an Hungarian reed instrument that is related to the oboe, sounding a bit like a soprano sax but with a warmer, less shrill sound. Their extended workout of this
Coltrane favorite is more reserved than the composer's several recordings, but here the quartet is at its most adventurous.
Kuhn also explores late-period
Coltrane songs, such as the meditative "Jimmy's Mode" (showcasing
Finck) and the turbulent avant-garde-ish "Configuration," both of which remained unissued until 1994. Mostly Coltrane easily stands out as one of the best CDs among the countless tributes to
John Coltrane and is one of
Steve Kuhn's essential recordings within his extensive discography. ~ Ken Dryden