| Kait Dunton (2018) | |
|---|---|
(Photo by Peter Figen) | Jazz critic Don Heckman described composer, pianist and educator Kait Dunton as "an extraordinary talent on the rise". Don uses the term "extraordinary" sparingly, so you know that she is the real deal.
Following language studies at the University of Virginia with the intention of becoming a Spanish translator, Kait changed direction, getting a Master of Music degree in Jazz Piano Performance from the University of North Texas—in fact she was a member of the group Snarky Puppy during their formative years. Kait is also an honored alumna from the USC's Thornton School of Music, where she received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree, and she is now an active professor, heading the piano performance program at the Los Angeles College of Music in her native Pasadena. Kait just issued her fifth recording, TrioKAIT 2. She is excellent at cultivating the art of the trio, with great compositions, crisp and solid piano chops, and some nice telepathy with bassist Cooper Appelt and drummer Jake Reed, with whom she's been playing for quite some time. |
| Pick | Artist | Album | Song | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # 1 | Brad Mehldau | Largo | When It Rains | Warner Bros |
| # 2 | McCoy Tyner | Supertrios | Wave | Milestone |
| # 3 | Shirley Horn | I Thought About You | Nice 'n' Easy | Verve |
| # 4 | Wayne Shorter | Speak No Evil | Speak No Evil | Blue Note |
| # 5 | E.S.T. | Seven Days of Falling | Elevation of Love | ACT |
| # 6 | Herbie Hancock | Thrust | Actual Proof | Columbia |
| Book | Marilynne Robinson, "Housekeeping" | |||
| Luxury Item | An exit strategy: either a private jet or a chartered helicopter | |||