In Kohl's hands, each tune is an expedition, and his patient, painterly approach uncovers jewels.
Over the many years, Frank Kohl has thoroughly explored the fine art of solo jazz guitar. From his NY upbringing to his years at Berklee, time spent in the Bay Area to his last 30 years in Seattle, the influences of Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, Pat Martino, and particularly Joe Pass informed his path. Kohl's evolved approach strives to connect the guitar to the great solo piano traditions where he stretches the time, colors the tone and uses the melody to guide him, often to destinations unknown. Through Pacific, his seventh recording and the second of all solo guitar, Kohl holds close to his heart the voices and journeys of his musical guides.
"His soaring solos and swinging tunes unveil a spirit tuned into the moment and where the notes may lead...his solos sing true with room for breath and emotion."
Earshot Jazz
Track Listing:
1 Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You 3:46 (Razaf & Redmond)
2 With Tears of Joy 3:14 (Kohl)
3 Looking Back 4:05 (Kohl)
4 Beatrice 3:22 (Sam Rivers)
5 Pacific Journey 3:45 (Kohl)
6 Making Whoopee 4:04 (Walter Donaldson)
7 Idle Moments 3:05 (Duke Pearson)
8 A Felicidade 3:34 (Antônio Carlos Jobim)
9 I Know I'll See You Again 3:26 (Kohl)
10 Memories of Tomorrow 3:25 (Keith Jarrett)
11 Time After Time 2:55 (Jule Styne)
12 Moment's Notice 3:07 (John Coltrane)
13 When I Fall in Love 2:25 (Victor Young)
Performers:
Frank Kohl - guitar
Production Info:
Produced by Frank Kohl
Recorded & mixed by David Lange
at David Lange Studios, Edgewood, WA
on November 15, 2022
Assistant engineer: Ben Lange
Mastered by Ross Nyberg
at Nyberg Mastering, Issaquah, WA
Liner Notes by Bill Milkowski
Artist photo by Bob Cerelli
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
Reviews of Pacific
Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
Guitarist Frank Kohl goes solo on his latest release, mixing up standards with some rich originals. His delivery is patient and inquisitive, taking melodies such as the reclined "When I Fall In Love" or patient "Time After Time" and inspecting each chord with his fingers as a magnifying glass. His touch has a tensile tone, cool on the bluesy "Gee B ...
Earshot (Robert Ham)
Frank Kohl hasn't stepped out on his own much during his lengthy career. In fact, it took him until 2020 to release an album of solo guitar recordings — a decision driven more by circumstance than anything else, as it was made during the COVID lockdowns. Having leapt over that first hurdle under his own steam, Kohl has reached some kind of comfor ...
