KIRK KNUFFKE — Brightness : Live in Amsterdam (review)

KIRK KNUFFKE — Brightness : Live in Amsterdam album cover Live album · 2020 · Eclectic Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
snobb
Kirk Knuffke, a cornetist based in New York since 2005, is one of this generation's leading artists on his instrument. He's played with William Parker, Roswell Rudd, John Zorn, Dave Douglas, Myra Melford and Jon Irabagon among many others, and has built a strong reputation as an inventive and skilled side-artist.

He started recording as a leader in 2008, he moved from freer avant-garde jazz to various forms of free-bop, finding there his own easily recognizable sound. It came almost as a surprise to realize that after twelve years and a series of his own albums, "Brightness.." is Knuffke's first ever released live album (European "Chew Your Food" live album from 2010 is more a collective Knuffke-Ellis-Wollesen trio work).

Following Knuffke music for some years, it always attracted me for being unpredictable. Having his own signature sound, Knuffke never plays the same things twice. All of his albums are recorded with different line-ups and/or different, sometimes quite unorthodox, concepts (a great example is his "Witness" from 2018 - cornet/clarinet/piano trio in support of operatic baritone Steven Herring singing standards, some arias and a few Knuffke originals).

For those new to Knuffke's music, the best parallel is Eric Dolphy's transitional period works, except Dolphy did a great step from bop to free, Knuffke five decades after moves in the opposite direction.

On "Brightness", bare-naked cornet-bass-drums trio plays in soft and warm atmosphere of Amsterdam's most legendary jazz club - Bimhuis. In fact, current Knuffke's trio with drummer Bill Goodwin and bassist Mark Helias is half of 2015's Knuffke sextet, responsible for the release of the notable "Arms And Hands" album.

Seven compositions, all tuneful (similar to a modern standards of sort) are played with a lot of inspiration and grace, still with a strong feel for early bop. Vibrato-less clear sound of cornet draws moody melodies with relaxed beauty, adding freer solos here and there and leaving enough space for deep physical bass soloing and swinging drums, and - probably for the first time ever - Kirk sings on "The Mob, The Crown, The Mass".

Returning back to the parallels with Dolphy's music, Knuffke in fact plays same free-bop as Dolphy did. Just if Dolphy started on ground moving to faster, freer more chaotic sound, Knuffke returns back bop-rooted avant-garde jazz back to its roots.

Simply and great - just can't stop listening to it again and again.

It's interesting, that just a few days ago Knuffke released his second album this same year, this time on the European SteepleChase label and in accordance with the label's reputation - a bit more conservative. Still, he again chooses a trio format - not really a traditional one, with Kenny Wollesen on drums and Bob Stewart on tuba. Kirk can't stop surprising his fans again.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Izumi Kimura / Barry Guy / Gerry Hemingway : Six Hands Open As One Avant-Garde Jazz
IZUMI KIMURA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Raging Bulgakov Avant-Garde Jazz
SIMON NABATOV
Buy this album from MMA partners
New Start Fusion
TOM KENNEDY
Buy this album from MMA partners
Love Songs Live Avant-Garde Jazz
JOHN ZORN
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Data 21st Century Modern
MATTHEW SHIPP
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

??·??·?·???·?·????
SADAO WATANABE
snobb· 19 hours ago
"Miles Between" // by Shawn Schlogel & Nancy Erickson Lamont
NANCY ERICKSON LAMONT
js· 1 day ago
Mature Hybird Talking
FRANK GRATKOWSKI
js· 2 days ago
Perspective (Peace & Love)
ISAIAH COLLIER
js· 3 days ago
T-SQUARE 45th Anniversary Celebration Concert & Tour 2023 @Zepp Nagoya ?CLIMAX?
T-SQUARE
js· 4 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed