Contemporary jazz has seen numerous artists taking it by storm, but a handful of them have been around for decades and crowned for being remarkable and distinctive. Guitarist and composer Kurt Rosenwinkel is one of the elites even among these chosen ones. Revered for having one of the most original styles of composing and guitar playing as well as distinct guitar tones, it is a herculean task to find modern guitarists who Rosenwinkel’s music has not swayed.

Born in Philadelphia in 1970 to a musical family, he started his journey at the age of nine with piano. His parents played the piano and listened to a wide variety of music. So, it wasn’t surprising that Rosenwinkel would have such a head start. By the age of twelve, he was already studying Jazz guitar. He attended the Berklee School of Music for two and a half years. The great vibraphonist Gary Burton was the dean at that time and with Burton he went on tour in his sophomore year. To propel his career as a musician, he moved to Brooklyn and here he carried on his relentless pursuit of fulfilment as a jazz guitarist.

When Rosenwinkel settled in New York, after leaving Berklee in 1991, he did not take much time before establishing himself as a pivotal figure among other emerging jazz musicians. But, there was more to come,  he was yet to become the household name that he is today.

In his career spanning three decades, he has collaborated with myriad musicians of today’s music scene. His list of collaborators included pianist Brad Mehldau; saxophonists Myron Walden, and Mark Turner; bassists Matt Penman, and drummers Jeff Ballard and Jorge Rossy among many others.

Rosenwinkel’s style is characterized by his utilization of unique harmonic language and intricate melodies which often incorporate and blend elements of multiple genres. His immense experience with an eclectic set of styles is palpable in his virtuosic improvisation— which is at the core of his music. His improvising style was influenced by giants of jazz guitar such as Allen Holdsworth, Pat Metheny, and John Scofield, but has always been true to his sui generis style.

Taking a closer look at his discography, we will gain insight into the creative process and the mind of one of jazz’s most compelling guitarists. With that in mind, here is a list of five of Rosenwinkel albums for you to explore.

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This album is considered one of Rosenwinkel’s significant steps towards his prolific creative evolution. The Next Step was his fourth album as a band leader, and in his own words represents the culmination of many life phases for him.

With Mark Turner on tenor saxophone, Ben Street on bass, and Jeff Ballard on drums, in this quartet setup, Rosenwinkel has delivered original compositions in an ensemble approach. Seemingly recondite tracks sound coherent with the appropriate amount of intensity.

As a quartet, they have showcased their compatibility in every track, especially in “Zhivago”, “Minor Blues” and  “A Life Unfolds.” This album also features Rosenwinkel’s piano playing in the title track.

Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar, piano; Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Ben Street: bass; Jeff Ballard: drums
Released June 27, 2000

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In Deep Song, Rosenwinkel has assembled a cast of prominent contemporary jazz artists like American pianist Brad Mehldau. Since all of these musicians had worked together before in the underground jazz scene in New York City during the 1990s, the spontaneity and creativity of this album are outright unfathomable.

Both metrically and harmonically complex original compositions and two standards display well-articulated sophistry in their captivating storytelling. 

The title track is a pensive rendition of the tune by George Cory and Douglass Cross. In this intimately atmospheric album, the layers of ideas and lines in “The Cloister” and “If I Should Lose You” are nothing short of cerebral enlightenment.

Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar; Joshua Redman: tenor saxophone; Brad Mehldau: piano; Larry Grenadier: bass; Jeff Ballard, Ali Jackson: drums
Released March 1, 2005

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The Remedy is a complex tapestry of melody and harmony. Recorded live at Village Vanguard, New York’s historic jazz venue, it is a challenging endeavour Rosenwinkel has taken up as a band leader.

It was released as a double CD with long compositions— more than 10 minutes each—and the band’s extended solos. Martin and Harland lay out the rhythmic groove and Goldberg fills in with rich-dense harmony, allowing Turner and Rosenwinkel to explore the realm of melody, dynamics, and timbre.

Each track bears the mark of the originality that Rosenwinkel possesses. From the modal blues of “Safe Corners” to the nearly 20-minute-long “Myron’s World” (written by Mark Turner) his soloing and comping justifies why he belongs to the upper echelon of jazz musicians.

Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar; Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Aaron Goldberg: piano; Joe Martin: bass; Eric Harland: drums
Released March 21, 2008

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Dubbed as “a contemporary classic” by All About Jazz, Stars of Jupiter is the tenth album of Rosenwinkel Rosenwinkel, and the vigor and robustness of this record make it one of the finest he has released. 

Featuring his new band, with pianist/keyboardist Aaron Parks, bassist Eric Revis, and drummer Justin Faulkner, Rosenwinkel has materialized a spacious and dreamlike reality with melody, groove, and swing.

This record has an abundance of mesmerizing solos, both on piano and guitar, in tracks such as “Gamma Band” “Heavenly Bodies”. “A Shifting Design” is taken from his previous album and embellished with Rosenwinkel’s more refined sense of artistry.

Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar, vocals; Aaron Parks: piano; Eric Revis: bass; Justin Faulkner: drums
Released November 13, 2012

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Caipi is another outstanding display of Rosenwinkel’s sharp and inquisitive style of composing. It took a whole decade to finish this album, and it traverses on a completely new plane of musicality, to say the least.

Reorganizing the fundamental elements of his life, Rosenwinkel allowed the energy to flow on this. Taking copious inspiration and elements from Brazilian and Latin music, Caipi is inadvertently a percussion-heavy album. It has songs with lyrics along with instrumental tracks.

Rosenwinkel played a plethora of instruments— drums, bass, piano, synthesizers, and percussion. His dazzling solos, in “Casio Vanguard,” are notably different from his previous works. Fast and syncopated scale runs and arpeggios are bound to rev up the appetite for more.

Kurt Rosenwinkel: acoustic & electric guitars, electric bass, piano, drums, percussion, synth, Casio, voice; Pedro Martins: voice, drums, keyboards, percussion; Eric Clapton: guitar; Alex Kozmidi: baritone guitar; Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Kyra Garéy: voice; Antonio Loureiro, Zola Mennenöh, Amanda Brecker: voice; Frederika Krier: violin; Chris Komer: French horn; Andi Haberl: drums
Released February 10, 2017

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Final Word

Kurt Rosenwinkel has been a guiding light for new generations of musicians and equally, if not more, for music enthusiasts throughout the world. His genre-defining approach to music shines blindingly in everything he has ever done, both as a bandleader and a sideman. His timeless and peerless musicality will keep on reshaping the contours of modern jazz.

Top 5 Must-Hear Picks:

• Kurt Rosenwinkel – The Next Step (Verve Records)
• Kurt Rosenwinkel – Deep Song (Verve Records)
• Kurt Rosenwinkel Group – The Remedy (Live At The Village Vanguard) (Wommusic)
• Kurt Rosenwinkel – Star Of Jupiter (Wommusic)
• Kurt Rosenwinkel – Caipi (Heartcore Records)

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