Evening Eclectic August 1, 2021 Frank Kimbrough Tribute

Tonight Evening Eclectic is celebrating the life and music of jazz pianist, composer and educator Frank Kimbrough.  He died suddenly and unexpectedly on December 30^th of last year.  He was a much admired pianist and educator.  On July 16^th 65 of his distinguished colleagues and former students released a album called simply Kimbrough on Newvelle Records with 61 of his songs amounting to more than five and a half hours of music.

Kimbrough was probably best known for his long association with the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, in which he had held the piano chair since 1993. However, Kimbrough also led a robust solo career, recording 16 albums under his own name and helming duo, trio, and quartet projects. Kimbrough was an educator known for his commitment to his students. He taught piano at New York University in the 1990s.  Since 2008,  he has held a faculty position in jazz piano at the Juilliard School which has set up a scholarship in his name.

Among his most acclaimed works were 1999’s Dr. Cyclops’ Dream, 2004’s Lullabluebye, and 2018’s Monk’s Dreams, his final recording as a leader, on which he and a quartet assayed all 70 known compositions by Thelonious Monk.  We will be playing music from each of these albums tonight along with a cut from the posthumous album Ancestors which is due for release.