George Kahn
Cover Up
Playing Records
By George W. Harris

It’s guys like pianist George Kahn that make me glad I live on the West Coast, and can take in the local jazz scene. Here’s a LA cat, I forget what he “really” does for a living-some sort of pencil pusher, and yet he puts out a slew of clever, swinging and craftsy releases, this one being his 6th. He must do something right on his day job, because he hires the best guys in town. This latest release has Kahn leading a band that includes the stellar foundational trio with Alex Acuna (d & p) and Brian Bromberg (b, as well as guitarist Pat Kelly, tenorist extraordinaire Justo Almaro (who would have statue in a park if he lived in NY) and trumpeter John Fumo. Kahn leads this band through a kahnvincingly stellar program.

The full band is able to play it quite funky, as they amply show on the title track, and on the revamped version of Bill Withers’ “Use Me”, which features some defiantly pre-woman’s libbed vocals from Courtney Lemmon. Almaro and Fumo make up a front line that is hard to beat, particularly on the muscular “Mitchell’s Blues” and Kelley’s solo during Wes’ Coast is a cooker. Where Kahn seems most at home is in the trio setting, which is where he seems to be most inspired. He takes Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love” and turns it from a rocker into a snapper. Keeping with the 60’s his version of “Eleanor Rigby” brings out the loneliness of the melody that would make McCartney smile. Keeeping with the Fab Four, he takes an ingenious twist of “Yesterday” and segues it into the standard “Yesterdays” as if they were written for each other. Bromberg, on this tune and on “Waiting On The World” delivers some jaw dropping solo work. This is a trio that plays like they grew up together. He’s always somewhere in town; make it a point to see this overlooked star.