Lullabluebye / Play

Two CDs. The jazz world was shocked and profoundly saddened by the news that pianist Frank Kimbrough had passed away in December 2020 at just 64 years of age. In honor of Kimbrough's memory, Palmetto Records is now releasing Frank Kimbrough 2003-2006, which compiles a pair of gorgeous trio dates from a particularly fruitful period in his career. Frank Kimbrough 2003-2006 brings together 2003's Lullabluebye, featuring longtime collaborators Ben Allison (bass) and Matt Wilson (drums); and the 2005 follow-up, Play, boasting a new trio with the then relatively unknown bassist Masa Kamaguchi alongside legendary drummer Paul Motian. The two albums are brilliant showcases for not only Kimbrough's deft and subtle pianism, but also his witty and memorable compositions. As Maria Schneider writes in her liner notes, "Every song is a perfect gem - superb writing, beautiful motivic development, utterly captivating improvisation... It's a joy to listen to each of these recordings made in a period of Frank's playing and writing that I so love.