Jazz pianist and
composer Steve Kuhn’s grandparents immigrated to the US from
Hungary in 1909, and this family tradition has been omnipresent
in his career. In 2004, Kuhn recorded Promises Kept, a tribute
to his parents, which includes a string orchestra for EXM
Records. He is most proud of this recording.
Steve Kuhn was born in Brooklyn, and became fascinated with jazz
very early in his life. He began classical piano lessons at age
five and soon began to "improvise and syncopate the classical
repertoire".
When he was 13, Serge Chaloff, baritone saxophonist for Woody
Herman, hired the 13 year-old pianist to play in his group.
Throughout his teens Kuhn continued to play in Boston jazz clubs
with visiting celebrities; Coleman Hawkins, Chet Baker and Vic
Dickenson.
After graduation from Harvard College, Kuhn attended the Lenox
School of Music where he played in a group with fellow-students
Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. The faculty included Bill Evans,
George Russell, and Gunther Schuller. Here he also met trumpeter
Kenny Dorham and began a two-year stint, interrupted when Kuhn
was asked to join John Coltrane’s newly formed quartet.
Kuhn next joined Stan Getz’s band, which included bassist Scott
LaFaro. After a year with Art Farmer, he formed the first Steve
Kuhn Trio, with drummer Peter LaRoca and bassist Steve Swallow.
At the end of the 1960’s he spent four years living in Europe,
where his performances had a significant impact upon local
players. Upon returning to the United States, Kuhn began his
long-term affiliation with ECM, resulting in a string of
important albums including Trance, Ecstasy, Non-Fiction and the
collaborations with Sheila Jordan; Playground and Last Year’s
Waltz.
In the mid-80’s, Kuhn co-founded the popular ‘All Star Trio’,
with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Al Foster, and launched a
new and still evolving edition of his trio with bassist David
Finck. Drummers for the latter have included Joey Baron (as on
the ECM recording Remembering Tomorrow), Lewis Nash, Billy
Drummond, Kenny Washington and Bill Stewart. In the 90’s and up
to the present time, he has recorded CDs for Venus, Reservoir
and Sunnyside.
Kuhn continues to tour widely throughout the world, with a
strong following in Europe and especially Japan where his CDs
frequently appear on the jazz charts. He made 28 recordings on
CD.
Source: Conculate General of Hungary - New York
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