Ghosts of Us
Chicago-based trumpet player Emily Kuhn has made a name for herself as a composer and trumpeter with a distinctively lyrical voice. With her sophomore album, “Ghosts of Us,” she brings this lyricism to her quintet featuring some of Chicago’s most creative and dynamic improvisers: Erik Skov on guitar, Meghan Stagl on piano, Kitt Lyles on bass, and Gustavo Cortiñas on drums. The group relies on their strong foundation of musical trust to deftly navigate influences from jazz, rock, chamber music, and Americana.
Written during the Covid-19 pandemic and described by trumpeter Erol Tamerman as “sonorous and beautiful, unfurling in surprising ways, with full, delicious harmony,” the six songs on “Ghosts of Us” meditate on themes of stillness, connection, grief, and hope. The title track is eerie and expectant, born out of an early pandemic walk through deserted city streets. The album continues with a series of intimate, emotionally honest compositions: the cinematic ballad “When the World Is Young” is inspired by post-apocalyptic imagery and the writings of N.K. Jemisin and Octavia Butler, while “In Lieu of Certainty, Movement” reflects on the feeling of treading water and the discomfort of moving forward despite not knowing what’s coming next. These brooding tracks are balanced by the slow and thick, jazz-meets-shoegaze “Respire,” the fiery hard bop number “When It Rains,” and the album’s triumphant closer, “Home.” The compositions create space for the band to collectively shape the music and for textural elements to take center stage, creating an evocative collection that invites listeners to briefly be still and breathe.
releases June 23, 2023
Emily Kuhn - Trumpet
Erik Skov - Guitar
Meghan Stagl - Piano
Kitt Lyles - Bass
Gustavo Cortiñas - Drums
All compositions by Emily Kuhn
Recorded by Stephen Shirk at Shirk Studios, December 2021
Mixed by Stephen Shirk at Shirk Studios
Mastered by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering
Album photography and design by Grace Pisula at Gold Point Studio
This project is partially supported by a Project Grant from the Luminarts Cultural Foundation and an Individual Artists Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.
© Emily Kuhn 2023 (BMI)
