Steve Khan
Headline

I will start by saying that I will try to describe this wonderful album by Steve Khan as best as I can, even though I know I do not possess the same descriptive abilities as some debaserian reviewers. The CD consists of nine tracks for a total of 58 minutes and 58 seconds. The tracks are by Larry Young, Ornette Coleman (2), Sammy Cahn-Paul Weston, Clare Fisher, Wayne Shorter, Jack Lawrence-Altman, Thelonious Monk, Joe Henderson. Steve Khan is accompanied on this album by five excellent musicians, namely: Ron Carter (b), Al Foster (ds), Anthony Jackson (b), Manolo Badrena (per), Dennis Chambers (ds). The musicians are undoubtedly perfectly in sync, and the entire album is played superbly with conviction without any lapses. I would also like to remember that S. Khan played with the unforgettable Steely Dan (a name taken from a character by W. Burroughs in Naked Lunch, a book that nonetheless disappointed me).

It's complex to describe the tracks on this album, all endowed with an unparalleled touch and class. Khan's guitar is always superb, refined, and endowed with a distinctive touch. All the pieces are rather relaxing and meditative, suitable to be listened to in certain situations. Among the various tracks, I would like to mention "Ontem a Noite (Clare Fisher)" with Khan's guitar in the foreground, endowed with an intriguing and fascinating sound. Definitely a small gem. Unforgettable is also "Carribean Fire Dance (Joe Henderson)" with an incredibly versatile guitar, with passages that are at times fast and fragmented, particularly complex. The track ends with a phenomenal drum and percussion solo. A piece of considerable artistic depth and technical caliber that alone is worth the entire album.
The album's rating, to be precise, would be a recurring 4.7, but perhaps this is also due to my “cerebral-auditory inability” to fully appreciate a work of such compositional scope.

In conclusion, an amazing album, undoubtedly suitable for all Jazz enthusiasts. My judgment on the cover is indispensable, which in this case is essential and funny, vaguely surreal (rating 3.5 recurring). Before saying goodbye, I would just like to add a curiosity that occasionally happens to me when I listen to good music, namely: why does the mechanical rotary selector of the amplifier start to turn mysteriously (preventing me from calmly listening to the music) as if possessed by spirits or equipped with a mocking artificial intelligence?