It has been over four years since the passing of Frank Kimbrough, an incredible pianist, composer and educator. His loss left an unfillable void in the jazz scene of New York City and throughout the world. Fortunately, his lessons and music still live on in his students, peers and recordings. So, it is with great pleasure and pride that Sunnyside Records presents The Call, a collection of solo performances that were captured and later rediscovered by recording engineer Matt Balitsaris.

Kimbrough was an integral part of the New York jazz scene. He was a beloved friend and collaborator. He appeared in ensembles led by leaders as diverse and illustrious as Maria Schneider, Ben Allison, Ted Nash, Matt Wilson, Jay Anderson, and Kendra Shank, among many others. Kimbrough’s original compositions were as celebrated as his interpretations of standards and the jazz canon, for which he was highly regarded, especially after the release of his prodigious recording of the full Thelonious Monk oeuvre on Monk’s Dreams (Sunnyside, 2018).

Fortunately, the tapes were running when Kimbrough stepped into his favorite recording studio, Maggie’s Farm, in Buck’s County, Pennsylvania on July 19, 2010. Engineer Balitsaris captured a full afternoon’s worth of material, which he later unearthed for this release.