JAZZ REVIEW | Steve Knight "For Years Gone" by Jeff Cebulski

Steve Knight (with Justin Peterson & Linard Stroud)

"For Years Gone"

SteveKnight.net 2024

By Jeff Cebulski | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Steve Knight: guitar

Justin Peterson: bass

Linard Stroud: drums

Within the panoply of Chicago jazz guitarists, Steve Knight has sagaciously crafted a following who appreciate his bright, straight-ahead forays into classic and world-savvy tunes. His COVID-initiated outdoor concerts—the Jazz In The Yard series on the lawn of Senn High School—contribute fresh and comfortable summer afternoons for northside fans.

Since moving to Chicago in 2016, Knight has recorded two albums. The first, Persistence, in 2022, included bassist Justin Peterson and drummer Jeff Stitely, and established Knight as a player in the academy of chromatic and melodic purveyors like Pat Martino, Larry Coryell (with his occasional rock-influenced approach), and Steve Khan.

Those characteristics continue on Knight’s new release, For Years Gone, which will get its album release concert at the Jazz Showcase on Monday, April 14.

The new album includes Peterson and adds the local veteran Linard Stroud on drums playing a mix of originals and unique takes on covers. “Lure” is a bouncy blues that aims to draw audiences in, hence the title. The melodic opening gives way to a walking bass-driven display that conjures early Coryell in its execution. The ballad “Pure Imagination” is a longtime concert favorite that appeals to sentiment, but with a Mona Lisa smile. Another original, “Cracklin’,” is a tribute to the late drum master Roy Haynes, in its “crackin” bridges among the loping beats provided by Stroud. Peterson inserts a bluesy solo before Knight plays a typically note-centered statement.

Martino’s workout “Colossus” demonstrates Knight’s dexterity, like listening to a Wes Montgomery album cut played at 45 rpm. The title tune, an homage to Knight’s mother, winds down the pace considerably before another outdoor concert favorite, “Kothbiro” (which means “rain is coming”). The song, written by Kenyan musical artist Ayub Ogada, features a lilting melody enhanced by Peterson’s arco counterpoint. Two pieces by classic rock-era heroes follow. George Harrison’s “Something” gets a folksy 7/4 treatment before a Peterson-led 4/4 bridge—a kind of Beatlesque manuveur—interrupts. Joni Mitchell’s not-often-heard “Urge For Going” is rendered about as simply as can be, as Knight bends some strings along the way.

Then, two more ancient classics appear. Benny Goodman and Charlie Christian’s “7 Come 11” ride the insistent swing while the trio extends the trio’s spare arrangement that ultimately arrives at another dynamic Knight solo ably supported by Peterson and Stroud. “In a Sentimental Mood,” like “Something,” is turned around completely by a driving rhythm that hearkens back to Coryell’s “Stiff Neck.” Knight establishes the famous melody, but only faintly, as the group uses it as a fulcrum for improvisation before a quiet conclusion.

On For Years Gone, Steve Knight’s style, song choice, and witty arrangements continue to make him and his mates accessible to the casual jazz fan while exuding the chops that veteran fans can value.

For more information on the April 14 album release concert, go to jazzshowcase.com/nowplaying/steve-knight.

About Jeff Cebulski

Jeff Cebulski, who lives in Chicago, is a retired English educator (both secondary and collegiate) and longtime jazz aficionado. His career in jazz includes radio programs at two stations in southeast Wisconsin, an online show on Kennesaw State’s (GA) Owl Radio from 2007 until 2015, and review/feature writing for Chicago Jazz Magazine since 2016, including his column "Jazz With Mr. C". He has interviewed many jazz artists, including Joshua Redman, Charles Lloyd, Dave Holland, John Beasley, and Chris Brubeck, as well as several Chicago-based players. Jeff is a member of the Jazz Journalists Association. Contact Jeff at jeff@chicagojazz.com