Emily Kuhn: Ghosts of Us
BACE Records

Ghosts of Us, the terrific second album from Chicago trumpeter Emily Kuhn, is notable for the consummate poise of its writing and performances. Fronting a stellar quintet, she leads with authority and exemplifies the kind of maturity one associates with a much more seasoned player. There's nothing tentative about the six performances by the outfit either, which comprises her, guitarist Erik Skov, pianist Meghan Stagl, bassist Kitt Lyles, and drummer Gustavo Cortiñas; all show themselves as capable of delivering a moody ballad as a hard bop workout.

Kuhn's 2020 debut album, Sky Stories, turned heads for presenting her chamber nonet Helios, distinguished by its coupling of standard jazz instrumentation with a vocalist and string quartet. The lineup on the sophomore release hews more to convention, but the exceptional quality of the performances more than compensates. Like Helios, the smaller group tackles a myriad of styles as if born to it. Kuhn originally hails from Charlottesville, Virginia, but she sounds very much at home in her adopted base.

As intimated by the album title, the material on Ghosts of Us—all Kuhn originals—was written during the pandemic, and consistent with that there are moments of stillness and solemnity and allusions to isolation and despair. It's far from a one-note affair, however: the material, recorded at Shirk Studios in December 2021, also exudes uplift and hope, and the visceral thrill the musicians experienced executing Kuhn's pieces comes through vividly.

As Cortiñas lays down an animated reggae-tinged groove on the opening title track, the others gradually join in with smoky contributions, the leader on mute and voicing the moody theme. Intimate small-group interplay follows, Kuhn delivering the album's first solo with assurance and the others gathering supportively around her. The track originated out of her experience walking through deserted streets during the pandemic, and certainly a yearning quality emerges in the music but a rhapsodic character does too—the impression forms of someone saddened by the state of things but hopeful for the future to come.

Indicative of the maturity of the band's playing, “Respire” is delivered at a molasses-slow tempo that, even so, never feels lethargic. Skov makes his presence felt in an adventurous solo, as does Stagl in her own nuanced contribution. Cortiñas enhances “In Lieu of Certainty, Movement” with cymbal and hi-hat flourishes that nicely set the stage for the leader's thematic statement, the melody brimming with optimism and the group performance rousing. Having worked through ballad-oriented pieces, the quintet lets loose with “When It Rains,” a brisk hard bop exercise that lets the musicians strut their jazz chops. Trading fours like masters from the ‘50s and ‘60s, the five sound like there's nothing they'd rather be doing and nowhere else they'd rather be. Reinstating a reflective mode, “When the World is Young” begins with a sensitive intro by Skov before Kuhn adds her own hushed expression to the ballad. Aptly titled, “Home” concludes the release with a gentle, blues-tinged piece that's equally nostalgic and uplifting.

August 2023