Frank Kimbrough is the Tommy Flanagan of his generation, and, perhaps, its Hank Jones. Like them, his first virtue is taste. Like them, he is the consummate sideman. And like them, later in his career, he surmounted the occupational hazard of all great accompanists: He became a leader.
Kimbrough’s recordings under his own name constitute one of the important piano portfolios of the new millennium to date. On albums like Air (a rare solo session) and Live at Kitano (a trio date, his favored format), the dynamic balance between rapt lyricism and hard edges is unique to Kimbrough. Solstice, a Pirouet Records release with bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Jeff Hirshfield, is his most deeply realized, most personal statement. Kimbrough, 60, spoke on the phone from his home in Long…
