Live At Kimball’s East
Self-Released, 2026
8/10
Listen to Live At Kimball’s East
The multi-instrumentalist Paul McCandless has a lengthy and esteemed career, and this set from Oakland in 1992 welcomes an all star cast for the jazz filled evening.
“Robin” opens with McCandless’ soaring sax amid Lyle Mays’ warm piano for the elegant and rich start, and “Punch” follows with Steve Rodby’s frisky bass lines that complement the animated delivery.
Halfway through, “Rainland” makes great use of Fred Simon’s synth and McCandless’ oboe that suits the distinct mood, while “Hard Eights” enlists Mark Walker’s drums via the busy versus soft gestures of the unpredictable 12+ minutes.
“Tail Wind” arrives late and blends Rodby’s bass, Mays’ keys, Simon’s synth, Walker’s drums and McCandless’ EWI into a textured and mesmerizing set highlight, and “Slink” exits with McCandless handling both alto and soprano sax for the dynamic and melodic bout of timeless jazz.
The DAT cassette of this performance was located in McCandless' private archive for decades before being discovered a year ago, and it illuminates his always relevant vision and strong chemistry with his quintet that has aged very well.
Travels well with: Mac Richter- Hamnet: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack; David S. Lefkowitz- Preludes And Fugues For Piano