JAZZ REVIEW: Kevin Fort "Chiaroscuro" by Jeff Cebulski

Kevin Fort and Andy Brown. Chiaroscuro, Jeru Jazz, 2026

By Jeff Cebulski ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kevin Fort, piano

Andy Brown, guitar

The Chicago-area pianist and Northwestern educator Kevin Fort is transparent about the influence of Jim Hall and Bill Evans’ classic album Undercurrent (Blue Note, 1962) in notes that accompany his new album with local guitarist Andy Brown, Chiaroscuro. Yet, in this case, the stronger comparative could be that famous duo’s second album, Intermodulation (Verve, 1966), for reasons of production and style.

Undercurrent presented Evans and Hall in relatively close quarters, so that a stereo effect was fairly negligible; on Intermodulation, the musicians were separated, more like a concert presentation would be. Here, on Chiaroscuro, producer Vijay Tellis-Nayak chose to mix these two talents with separation. The selections on Intermodulation swung more, and the production value enhanced the duo’s rapport; on Chiaroscuro, the swing element is pronounced—the opener a vibrant take on the classic “How Deep Is the Ocean” and the closer a rapid version of “Night and Day”—and the separation enhances Fort and Brown’s synchronicity, making this album a refreshingly intimate but stirring experience.

Fort’s association with Evans is clear from the start; his lyrical bent shines on original material like the title cut and the flowing “Dark Flower.” But Fort’s stylistic approach here sounds more like Tommy Flanagan or Red Garland; after the spirited “How Deep…” comes Fort’s lilting waltz “Morning Light” and a close-to-the-vest rendition of the ballad “For Heaven’s Sake,” before a stride-like “Leroy” and a bop-ish, unison-heavy “Yardbird Suite.” Brown, one of Chicago’s finest, sounds like his predecessor Hall, with precise picking, sustained and bent notes, and inner swing; his solo on “Leroy” is pristine and joyful. (The call-and-response section is especially pleasing.) Hall’s occasional Latin bent is exhibited exquisitely by Brown on “Dark Flower.” Often, one gets the impression that Brown is the “singer” supported by Fort; on “Morning Light” Fort sets up his partner with a pianistic flourish before the two close together, Brown’s Ella to Kevin’s Louis.

Given the evident harmony between these two Chicago jazz veterans, enhanced by the sonic clarity and wisdom of Tellis-Nayak’s production, Chiaroscuro is a resounding success in the Evans-Hall tradition and an example of partnership that upcoming musicians should emulate.

About Jeff Cebulski

Jeff Cebulski, who lives in Chicago, is a retired English educator (both secondary and collegiate) and longtime jazz aficionado. His career in jazz includes radio programs at two stations in southeast Wisconsin, an online show on Kennesaw State’s (GA) Owl Radio from 2007 until 2015, and review/feature writing for Chicago Jazz Magazine since 2016, including his column "Jazz With Mr. C". He has interviewed many jazz artists, including Joshua Redman, Charles Lloyd, Dave Holland, John Beasley, and Chris Brubeck, as well as several Chicago-based players. Jeff is a member of the Jazz Journalists Association. Contact Jeff at jeff@chicagojazz.com