Frank Kimbrough (November 2, 1956 – December 30, 2020) was an American post-bop jazz pianist and composer. He was born and raised in Roxboro, North Carolina. He did some work at Chapel Hill before moving to Washington, D.C., in 1980 and then to New York City in 1981.[1]

Biography

Kimbrough started playing the piano at the age of 3, beginning with hymns and then moving on to studies of classical music and his own improvised pieces; however, in rural North Carolina, he had no exposure to jazz until his mid-teens. As he recalled:

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Year recorded Title Label Year released Notes
1986? Star Crossed Lovers Mapleshade 1986 Solo (cassette only)[10]
1987? Double Visions Mapleshade 1987 Duo, with Steve Williams (bass) (cassette only)
1988-12 Lonely Woman Mapleshade 1995 Trio, with Ben Wolfe (bass), Jeff Williams (drums)[11]
1995-05 & 1996-05 Love Is Proximity Soul Note 1997 With The Herbie Nichols Project
1997-08 Saturn's Child OmniTone 1999 Duo, with Joe Locke (vibraphone)[12]
1997-09 Noumena Soul Note 2000 Quartet, with Scott Robinson (tenor sax, baritone sax), Ben Monder (guitar), Tony Moreno (drums, percussion); in concert[12]
1992-06 & 1997-12 Chant Igmod 1998 Trio, with Ben Allison (bass), Jeff Ballard (drums)[13]
1998-09 Quickening OmniTone 2003 Trio, with Ben Allison (bass), Jeff Ballard (drums); in concert[12]
1999-02 Dr. Cyclops' Dream Soul Note 1999 With The Herbie Nichols Project
2000-09 Autumn LoNote 2001 Duo, with Ron Brendle (bass)[14]
2000-12 The Willow OmniTone 2002 Duo, with Joe Locke (vibraphone)[12]
2001-05 Strange City Palmetto 2001 With The Herbie Nichols Project
2003-04 Lullabluebye Palmetto 2004 Trio, with Ben Allison (bass), Matt Wilson (drums)[12]
2005-04 Play Palmetto 2006 Trio, with Masa Kamaguchi (bass), Paul Motian (drums)[12]
2006-02 Verrazano Moon OmniTone 2008 Duo, with Joe Locke (vibraphone)[15]
2003-07 & 2007-03 Air Palmetto 2007 Solo[16]
2009-09 Rumors Palmetto 2010 Trio, with Masa Kamaguchi (bass), Jeff Hirshfield (drums)[17]
2010-07 The Call Sunnyside 2025 Solo[18]
2011-07 Live at Kitano Palmetto 2012 Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Matt Wilson (drums)[19]
2013? Afar ScienSonic 2013 Duo, with Scott Robinson[20]
2014-05 Quartet Palmetto 2014 Quartet, with Steve Wilson (saxophones), Jay Anderson (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)[21][22]
2015? Meantime Newvelle 2015 Quintet, on vinyl[23]
2016-05 Solstice Pirouet[24] 2016 Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Jeff Hirshfield (drums)
2017-06 Ancestors Sunnyside 2021 Trio, with Kirk Knuffke (cornet), Masa Kamaguchi (bass)[25]
2018-05&06 Monk's Dreams: The Complete Compositions of Thelonious Sphere Monk Sunnyside 2018 Quartet, with Scott Robinson (various wind instruments), Rufus Reid (bass), Billy Drummond (drums); 6 CDs

As sideman/featured soloist

With Ben Allison

With Dave Ballou

With Michael Blake

  • Drift (Intuition Music, 2000)
  • Elevated (P&M Records, 2002)
  • Tiddy Boom (P&M Records, 2014)

With Katie Bull

  • Freak Miracle (Innova Recordings, 2010)

With Jeff Cosgrove

  • Conversations with Owls (Grizzley Music, 2015)

With Maryanne de Prophetis

  • A Glance (LoNote Records, 2005)
  • Tell a Star (ENNA Records, 2016)

With Ron Horton

  • Genius Envy (Omnitone, 1999)
  • Subtextures (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2003)
  • Everything Is a Dream (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2005)

With Joe Locke

  • Beauty Burning (Sirocco Jazz Limited, 2000)

With Ted Nash

  • Out of This World (Mapleshade Records, 1993)
  • Rhyme & Reason (Arabesque, 1999)
  • Still Evolved (Palmetto Records, 2003)
  • The Mancini Project (Palmetto Records, 2008)

With Rich Perry

  • Left Alone (SteepleChase Records, 1997)

With Noah Preminger

  • Before the Rain (Palmetto Records, 2011)

With Maria Schneider

With Kendra Shank

  • Wish (Jazz Focus, 1998)
  • Reflections (Jazz Focus, 2000)
  • A Spirit Free: Abbey Lincoln Songbook (Challenge, 2006)
  • Mosaic (Challenge, 2009)

With Ryan Truesdell's Gil Evans Project

With Dawn Upshaw and Maria Schneider

Literature

References

  1. 1 2 3 Russonello, Giovanni (January 12, 2021). "Frank Kimbrough, Pianist With a Subtle Touch, Is Dead at 64". New York Times. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Chinen, Nate (May 7, 2024). "Frank Kimbrough: Ghost Dance". Jazz Times. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  3. ↑ Freitas, Filipe (September 17, 2019). "Frank Kimbrough Interview, NYC". Jazz Trail. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  4. ↑ Marriner, Douglas (January 4, 2021). "Tribute: Frank Kimbrough (1956-2020)". London Jazz News. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Lullabluebye by Frank Kimbrough". AllAboutJazz. August 22, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Chinen, Nate (December 31, 2020). "Frank Kimbrough, Pianist and Composer Who Balanced Mystery with Clarity, Has Died at 64". WBGO. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
  7. ↑ Balitsaris, Matt, liner notes, Monk's Dreams: The Complete Compositions of Thelonious Sphere Monk, Sunnyside Records, 2018, p. 19.
  8. ↑ Kaplan, Fred (December 15, 2021). "The Best Jazz Albums of 2021". Slate. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  9. ↑ Mehler, Elan (2025). "Kimbrough". Newvelle Records. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Frank Kimbrough — Star-Crossed Lovers: Piano Solos". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  11. ↑ Henderson, Alex. "The Frank Kimbrough Trio: Lonely Woman". AllMusic. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 824. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  13. ↑ Adler, David R. "Frank Kimbrough: Chant". AllMusic. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  14. ↑ Nathan, Dave (April 18, 2002). "Ron Brendle/Frank Kimbrough: Autumn". All About Jazz. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Frank Kimbrough: Verrazano Moon". AllMusic. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  16. ↑ Henderson, Alex. "Frank Kimbrough: Air". AllMusic. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  17. ↑ Bilawsky, Dan (March 4, 2010). "Frank Kimbrough: Rumors". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  18. ↑ Bilawsky, Dan (April 9, 2025). "Frank Kimbrough: The Call". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  19. ↑ Bilawsky, Dan (October 17, 2012). "Frank Kimbrough Trio: Live At Kitano". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Frank Kimbrough / Scott Robinson: Afar". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Frank Kimbrough: Quartet". AllMusic. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  22. ↑ Bilawsky, Dan (October 1, 2014). "Frank Kimbrough: Quartet". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Frank Kimbrough: Meantime". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Frank Kimbrough Solstice". pirouet.de. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Frank Kimbrough: Ancestors". jazztimes.com. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Kimbrough