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Kirk Knuffke: Arms & Hands

By Mark Corroto
March 26, 2015
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Sometime, watch children as they eat the M&Ms. They will separate the colors into several piles—green, red, brown, yellow, orange, and blue. It's not that each color tastes different, except for maybe blue—I don't remember ever seeing that color before. Nonetheless, they go about savoring each color batch as an independent experience. Those little candies come to mind while attending to cornetist

Kirk Knuffke

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Kirk Knuffke's release Arms & Hands. The disc (released as both CD and LP) is a trio recording with Knuffke's newest band of bassist

Mark Helias

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Helias and drummer Bill Goodwin, but it also features three guest musicians; saxophonists

Daniel Carter

saxophone
b.1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Daniel Carter and

Jeff Lederer

woodwinds

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff Lederer and trombonist

Brian Drye

trombone
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Brian Drye. Like the little candies, the guest appearances and the trio pieces are cut from the same clothe, but there is a tempting urge to divide up this recording.

Maybe that's because Knuffke has spliced his career into so many different directions. He has braided his horn into the bands of

Matt Wilson

drums
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt Wilson,

Allison Miller

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Allison Miller,

Jeff Lederer

woodwinds

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff Lederer,

Andrew D'Angelo

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Andrew D'Angelo, and

David Ullmann

guitar
b.1972

" data-original-title="" title="">David Ullmann bands, plus his own groups Ideal Bread, Sifter (with Wilson and

Mary Halvorson

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Mary Halvorson) and duo outings with

Jesse Stacken

piano
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Jesse Stacken,

Mike Pride

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Mike Pride, and Brian Drye. He also works with this trio's partners in the separate bands, Helias' quartet and Goodwin's Ornette project.

The trio music here is dazzling. The combination of Helias' bass, which has kept time for

Anthony Braxton

woodwinds
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Anthony Braxton and

Cecil Taylor

piano
1929 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Cecil Taylor, and Goodwin's drums which have backed

Phil Woods

saxophone, alto
1931 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Phil Woods and

Art Pepper

saxophone, alto
1925 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Art Pepper, fuses the out and the in. Tricky, off-kilter pieces like "Root" and "Tuesday" satisfy those seeking ?challenging compositions, yet the groove is so inviting. Knuffke's cornet playing is (as always) flawless. He can deliver burning runs, slur and chirp notes, all with full command of his most demanding instrument.

Add the guests and the music doesn't taste better, it is just coated differently. Drye's trombone flavors the opening track "Safety Shoes," a meter-shifting feel good (no great) piece. Carter swoops upon "Bright Light" and "Atessa" with a notion that it is hip to be inside Knuffke's conceptions. Lederer's appearance with soprano honors

Steve Lacy

saxophone, soprano
1934 - 2004

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Lacy on "Chirp" and his tenor gives a nod to

Sonny Rollins

saxophone
b.1930

" data-original-title="" title="">Sonny Rollins' appreciation of cornball. The band turns a potentially clich��d tune like Ernest Tubbs' country song "Thanks a Lot" into a very hip swinger.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Safety Shoes; Bright Light; Root; Pepper; Chirp; Umbrella; Notwithstanding; Next; Arms & Hands; Elevator; Bonderizer; Tuesday; Use; Atessa; Thanks A Lot.

Personnel

Kirk Knuffke

trumpet

Kirk Knuffke: cornet; Bill Goodwin: drums; Mark Helias: bass; Brian Drye: trombone; Daniel Carter: alto saxophone; Jeff Lederer: soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone.

Album information

Title: Arms & Hands | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Royal Potato Family

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Kirk Knuffke Concerts

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