Angeleno George Kahn is one of the underrated wonders of jazz piano. All of his albums are impressive and strong, reflecting a foot in the tradition but not stuck in the past. This most recent release has him with bassist Lyman Medeiros and legendary drummer Alex Acuna. The three give tributes to jazz giants while putting their own impressive footprint.
Material dedicated to the likes of Red Garland (“Red’s Riff”) give dashes of his days with Miles Davis, whereas the two fisted “Roger Killowatt” (pointing to Roger Kellaway) is a peppy swinger. The team soulfully struts on the Joe Sample-imbibed “Get Naked” as Acuna’s high hat leads the way, while Medieros’ bass gives a bluesy gospel feel to Nat Adderley’s “Work Song.” The material is all optimistic, buoyant and richly textured, even the Bill Evans tip of the hat “Follow Your Heart” is looking towards the silver lining. Rewarding!