Paintbrush
SSC1814 2026-10-09
Track List
Castilleja Miniata - 4:15
Castilleja Levisecta - 6:07
Castilleja Hispida - 6:32
Castilleja Linariifolia - 3:34
Think Without Thought - 6:20
Brightness - 6:04
How Am I - 5:09
Sneak Head - 5:43
Arms In Hands - 5:25
A Little More So - 4:53
Castilleja Chromosa - 3:22
Musicians
Kirk Knuffke - cornet
Marilyn Crispell - piano
Thommy Andersson - bass
The communal act of improvisation shared between artists of deep understanding and appreciation can be truly breathtaking. In early 2024, longtime friends and collaborators cornetist Kirk Knuffke and bassist Thommy Andersson invited the legendary pianist/improviser Marilyn Crispell to perform with them and capture some of that magic. Meeting in Crispell’s haunts of Upstate New York, the trio recorded Paintbrush, a tremendous collection of thoughtful and illustrative pieces which capture their voices displayed on an aural canvas.
The musical partnership between the American Knuffke and Swede Andersson began a decade ago in the bassist’s adopted home of Denmark. The two began to play and record regularly in Europe, including concerts and recordings with the legendary guitarist Pierre Dørge. In 2022, Andersson had the opportunity to work with Crispell in Europe, which produced a recording, percussionist Michala Østergaard-Nielsen’s The Cave (Ilk, 2025)
Knuffke had long been a fan of Crispell’s music, having invested time and study into her recordings and live performances. Knuffke was also familiar with Crispell personally, as she regularly attended performances at the late Karl Berger’s Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, New York. Both musicians were deeply involved in Berger’s efforts in education and the grassroots promotion of the improvising arts.
With these developments and associations in mind, the idea to find a way to perform with Crispell was born. Knuffke and Andersson decided to reach out to Crispell about any potential projects. She was immediately excited about the opportunity and suggested that Knuffke and Andersson come to record at her preferred studio near her home in Woodstock, New York.
In January 2024, Knuffke and Andersson made the trek to Woodstock for a lovely weekend of music and camaraderie with Crispell. The trio eventually convened at engineer Chris Andersen’s Nevessa Production studios where they recorded a collection of improvised pieces along with originals by Knuffke and the spirit guiding the project, Karl Berger. The program flows in the order that the pieces were born or interpreted. The session began with an improvisation, while the tunes were pulled to played on the spot. Everything about the recording seemed organic and spirited.