Mostly Coltrane

In 1960, when Steve Kuhn was only 21, he was the pianist in a quartet led by a master: John Coltrane. Kuhn only played with the Coltrane for a brief period but it left an indelible mark. On 2009’s Mostly Coltrane, the pianist pays tribute to the innovative saxophonist by playing several Coltrane compositions, two pieces that the ‘60s quartet performed, and two originals, “With Gratitude” and “Trance.” Kuhn’s band — bassist David Finck, drummer Joey Baron, and saxophonist Joe Lovano — display great versatility interpreting pieces from various phases in Coltrane’s brief, but always-moving-forward career. It’s hard to imagine a saxophonist better suited to this homage than Lovano, a player who is heavily influenced by Coltrane, but clearly has his own voice. Throughout, Kuhn shines and the rhythm section colors his every move. The group plays with a sense of urgency and spiritual intensity on “Song of Praise,” does a wonderful job on the Billy Eckstine ballad, “I Want to Talk About You,” and takes it outside for “Configuration.” The closer, “Trance,” is a reflective piece for solo piano.