Pianist Frank Kimbrough, who passed away after a heart attack in December 2020, was a beloved musician, educator, and composer who built a formidable legacy in his 64 years. Newvelle Records is celebrating that legacy with the release of Kimbrough, a compilation of his compositions as performed by many of his associates.
Recorded over three days in May, the album is a 61-track digital anthology of Kimbrough’s original compositions—including “Quickening,” “Lullabluebye,” “Capricorn Lady,” and “Eventualities”—available as a high-quality download from Bandcamp. The performances feature an enclave of 67 of Kimbrough’s friends, bandmates, collaborators, and students, representing four generations of musicians who gathered to commemorate his life and work.
The musicians—ranging from Joe Lovano, Dave Douglas, Fred Hersch, and Matt Wilson to Alexa Tarantino, Ryan Keberle, and Immanuel Wilkins—form 55 different configurations across the 61 tunes.
All proceeds from sales of the compilation will benefit the new Frank Kimbrough Jazz Scholarship at the Juilliard School in New York City, where the pianist was a longtime faculty member.
Over his four-decade career, Kimbrough recorded more than 20 albums as a leader and 70 as a sideman. He co-founded and was composer in residence for the Jazz Composers Collective (1992-2005), and he occupied the piano chair of the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra for more than 25 years.
Kimbrough can be found on most streaming platforms. To download the album, visit its Bandcamp page.
