Joachim KUHN - Sunshower 1978

Joachim KUHN - Sunshower 1978

Jazz

Joachim Kühn's Sunshower, recorded for Atlantic in 1978, was recorded with a killer band that included über-guitarists Jan Akkerman and Ray Gomez, bassist Tony Newton, and drummer Glenn Symmonds; it's full of key changes and a jumble of syncopations, with vocals from Willie Dee. Kühn had established a well-earned reputation as a top-flight jazz pianist and experimentalist for MPS in the late '60s and early '70s, but his trajectory slipped a little with this release. Kühn's pianism is as elegant and sparkling as ever, but his compositions leave little room for anything remotely exciting to transpire; it's all a little too studied and refined, and it doesn't help that the only keys that matter are his use of a grand piano and a Fender Rhodes; his virtual array of Roland synths and string machines had already started to feel dated, even at the time.

Perhaps nowhere is the directionless bankruptcy of late-'70s jazz-fusion more present than in Joachim Kühn's sterile Sunshower set recorded for Atlantic in 1978. Despite the presence of a killer band that included über-guitarists Jan Akkerman and Ray Gomez, bassist Tony Newton, and drummer Glenn Symmonds, nothing much happens for the entire 36-minute running time. The proceedings here never rise above tepid, the compositions are mostly pointlessly repetitive, and when they aren't they are replete with all sorts of unnecessary key changes and cluttered syncopations. Kühn had established a well-earned reputation as a top-flight jazz pianist and experimentalist for MPS in the late '60s and early '70s but had utterly lost his way by the time this disaster was released. The presence of awful milquetoast vocal tracks by Willie Dee only serves to underscore the lack of ideas here. Sure, Kühn's pianism is as elegant and sparkling as ever, but his compositions leave no room for anything remotely exciting to transpire; it's all studied, refined, and boring. It doesn't help that the only keys that matter are his use of a grand piano and a Fender Rhodes; his virtual array of Roland synths and string machines felt dated even at the time. This set, issued on CD by Wounded Bird in 2008, is one to be avoided at all costs.
By Thom Jurek, All Music Guide.
**
Joachim Kuhn- Pianos,Keyboards, Synthesizer
Jan Akkerman- Guitars
Ray Gomez- Guitars, Synthesizer
Tony Newton- Bass
Glenn Symmonds- Drums and SYNdrums
Willie Dee- vocals
**
01. Orange Drive 3:33
02. O.D. 4:58
03. Shoreline 3:58
04. You're Still on My Mind 4:18
05. Midnight Dancer 4:30
06. Short Film for Nicki 4:15
07. Sunshower 4:17
08. Preview 6:29
**
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