Stan Killian has the air of a great thinker, and on Unified, his intellectual nature is reflected in both his compositions and carefully shaped solos. There is the occasional burst of speed through thickets of notes, but Killian is mostly a contemplative improviser. His musical personality is a foil to his guest artists: David Binney, Roy Hargrove, and Jeremy Pelt, who unleash fireworks. But even through all the exciting playing, Killian commands attention.
Killian’s debut album, Unified, is the stuff of the 1960s Blue Note factory: hard bop that’s branching out into bossa nova, the New Thing, and groundbreaking harmony language. It’s great stuff that brings the past into the present like any good jazz does, and Killian is celebrating the release with a concert in D.C. that includes Washington expats Benito Gonzales (piano) and Corcoran Holt (base).
Killian offers a subtle and nuanced performance on Unified. The combination of his pensive improvisations and warm, resonant tone is the perfect match for the inviting melodies of his original tunes. His playing is smart but unpretentious, logical yet unrestrained. That kind of balance is hard to achieve in jazz, and we’ll be lucky if he can keep it up for his next album.