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Thread: AAJ Review: Steve Khan, Subtext

  1. #1

    AAJ Review: Steve Khan, Subtext



    My review of Steve Khan's Subtext, today at All About Jazz.

    Change is a fact of life, and it's something that's better to be embraced than challenged; as inevitable as death and taxes, it's one of those things that you may as well accept, because there are few, if any, options to do otherwise. That said, while the then-aptly titled Parting Shot (Tone Center, 2011) suggested that guitarist Steve Khan's days recording as a leader were over, it is, indeed, great news to find, in 2014, that he's changed his mind with the release of Subtext--though the why is not necessarily so good.

    But more about that later. Subtext continues the thread that's run through his recent Tone Center recordings, specifically Parting Shot and 2007's Borrowed Time--two records that explore and exploit, more than any in the guitarist's long career, his interest in all things Latin and Afro-Cuban. But Subtext also represents both change and some of Khan's most flat-out soulful playing ever.

    Subtext also represents, from a guitarist who has long eschewed meaningless technical displays, some of Khan's most overtly virtuosic playing since his early '80s epiphany and attendant paradigm shift towards the more spartan approach that began around the time of his overlooked solo guitar masterpiece, Evidence (Arista/Novus, 1980), but became more fully formed with the release of Eyewitness (Trio, 1981). That's not to suggest Khan is now sacrificing quality for quantity, or substance for style--far from it--but on Subtext he stretches out more and demonstrates that he's absolutely capable of pyrotechnic displays; but, as befits a guitarist who deserted "look at me" demonstrations decades ago, only at exactly the right time. It just seems that, on Subtext, there are plenty more of them.

    Continue reading here...

  2. #2
    Member wideopenears's Avatar
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    Read it, loved it, hope Steve's okay......I was worried when his last album was called "Parting Shot." Autobuy.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by wideopenears View Post
    Read it, loved it, hope Steve's okay......I was worried when his last album was called "Parting Shot." Autobuy.
    He's fine. Parting Shot was more about it just getting too expensive to make records properly, and being fed up with where the business was going (another example that supports what I've been saying on some other threads about how streaming, illegal downloading and more are causing musicians to rethink the whole issue of making records).

    When he got diagnosed with this condition, there was no guarantee it would stay stable, and he felt if it might get so bad that he couldn't play, he just had to make one more record. The good news is, so far, the condition is stable so we might - might (as it's still expensive and the returns are minimal) - see another record from him somewhere down the line.

    But if this were to be his last one, he'd be going out on a real high. This is really one of the best records he's ever made imo.

    And thanks for the kind words

  4. #4
    Member FrippWire's Avatar
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    News of a new Steve Khan album is happily received. I'll be picking this up on CD.

    Edit: I bought the disc and just finished listening. Very nicely done. The mood is restrained; like a mellower version of his Eyewitness project. And his guitar tone is gorgeous. Really well recorded too. Highly recommended.
    Last edited by FrippWire; 07-02-2014 at 08:04 PM.

  5. #5
    Member wideopenears's Avatar
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    Got it yesterday, along with Binney's new one...both are worth every superlative you can throw at them.

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