When is life truly worth living? When a dream, long yearned after, finally comes true! At the age of 17, Paul Kuhn, like most people had many dreams. And most likely, he visualized his career at that age as a life with and for Jazz! He was 17 when, after World War II, the American troops came to Germany and brought jazz music to his hometown, Wiesbaden. The path to follow appeared to be predetermined. A highly respected, reputable artist with his own trio or big band, invited to events in foreign countries, particularly the USA. On a familiar basis with with the music of Ellington, Count Basie and many others, an exclusive contract with a prominent jazz label – perhaps even Blue Note - with long hair and crazy outfits - the first significant jazz import from Germany. As most of us know though, Paul’s path took quite another direction. Paulchen, as he was soon called, possessed not only a great music talent, with comical and entertaining qualities, he was also gifted with a great voice. In his performances he was happy to respond to people’s yearnings and requests for zest of life during the years of economic miracles. It was a career, quite distant from improvisations, jam sessions and live gigs, from which however he made a big turn around during the mid 90s. Rather late, but not too late, the country learned of Paul Kuhn’s true identity. It was an overdue image correction on the finishing line of a long and eventful career. ‘Actually, I have always played jazz’, says Kuhn. Well hidden in light and sweet arrangements or in a semi private ambience. Also as a personal survival reflex, by simply playing and keeping at it. And continued to dream of America and the great jazz musicians. Paul always had a great love for the USA. He loves New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz and the great Louis Armstrong. Mississippi with its blood-drenched earth and the West Coast and its heroes Chet Baker and Shorty Rogers. His loves includes Kansas City, the home of Count Basie as well as Washington, the home of Duke Ellington. But most of all: New York, New York! His big idol had always been Frank Sinatra. Time and again he tried to meet him somewhere, someplace – but, much to Paul’s disappointment, his endeavours were never crowned success. But at least he could come close to the spirit of “Ol’ Blue Eyes” and work where Sinatra recorded some of his biggest hits. In November 2011, this dream actually came true. At the legendary Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, Paul was able to work with the seven-fold Grammy Award winner, Al Schmitt, the sound engineer for Henri Mancini’s soundtrack “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” and the sound refiners, George Benson and Ray Charles. At this magical location, Paul was able to sing into the same microphone as Sinatra. And with drummer Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton on bass, he was back-lined by the same rhythm group that assisted Diana Krall in her artistic flight of fancy. Never before had Paul Kuhn sounded as he did in the “L. A. session”. Lightly, in a relaxed mood, cute at times and with surprising ease, was he ascending the cliffs of the two swing geniuses while throwing in his entire dexterity - sounding more American than most of what is currently heard from the motherland of traditional jazz. Working with Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton was indeed a wonderful experience, says Paul. “And Hamilton is an unbelievably good drummer. He differentiates between loud and quiet most fabulously, turning everybody on. And John Clayton is such an elegant artist, who, with his bow skills, could also have become an excellent cellist“. All of this adds up to a grand, colourful session with Kuhn’s own compositions Almost The Blues and Griff in honour of tenor saxophone player, Johnny Griffin. Also included are twelve tasteful and heart rending standards transposed into sounds of daydreams. The kaleidoscope extends from a youthful, high-spirited up tempo version of Close Your Eyes to the inspiring You’ve Changed, in earlier times distinctively associated with Nat King Cole, up to the lively On A Clear Day by Burton Lane. Kuhn, Hamilton and Clayton transfer the normally jumping ballroom gem Dinah of 1925 and My Heart Stood Still into an elegant swing mode while Kurt Weill’s Speak Low is dancing with the drummer’s brushes and the pianist’s single notes through the sequences. Johnny Mandel’s Emily, documents Paul’s highly and rightfully praised pizzicato skills by John Clayton. And, as if Charlie Parker had just personally appeared this very second, the trio performs his signature tune Ornithology as he would have done himself, while the beautiful and uplifting People is transmitting the sensitive power of the combo. Even as a so called gentleman crooner, Paul Kuhn enjoys an enormous acceptance for Just In Time, the tune for which Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Ella Fitzgerald set very high interpretive standards. Great sympathy also for Harry Warren’s There Will Be Another You, and one of Paul’s favourites As Time Goes By. The pianist and vocalist with his unmistakable sense of rhythm and melody, appears to absorb each individual note and transforms it into a very special art of timeless swing. Maybe the passing of some decades was necessary in order to develop jazz with this immense persuasiveness, this amazing maturity and deep commitmnet. The long wait was not only rewarding for Paul Kuhn. On March 12th, the artist will celebrate his 85th birthday. Life is a dream! Reinhard Köchl (January 2013) Translation by Lisa Boulton