Kenny Kirkland

Kenny Kirkland’s shadow grows longer by the day. There’s now a book: Kenny Kirkland’s Harmonic and Rhythmic Language: A Model for the Modern Jazz Pianist by Geoffrey Dean.

Dean is a player, and the book documents a moment of completion based on a doctoral thesis.

It’s thrilling that Dean has made this contribution to the literature. The author has transcribed a bevy of Kirkland solos and offers much technical insight.

One of the takeaways from the book is how much more recorded Kirkland exists than a glance at a conventional discography suggests. Dean includes a few solos that are hard to get, including astounding flights through “Giant Steps” and McCoy Tyner’s “Four by Five.”