In his early teens, Kuhn studied with legendary teacher Margaret Chaloff who schooled him in the “Russian Technique”, an invaluable tool for tone production and projection. Chaloff’s son, Serge Chaloff, baritone saxophonist for Woody Herman, hired the 13 year-old pianist to play in his group. Throughout his teens Kuhn continued to play in Boston jazz clubs with, amongst other visiting celebrities, Coleman Hawkins, Chet Baker and Vic Dickenson.
After graduation from Harvard College, Kuhn attended the Lenox School of Music where he recorded with Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. The faculty included Bill Evans, George Russell, and Gunther Schuller. While at Lenox, Kuhn met trumpeter Kenny Dorham and began a two-year stint, interrupted when Kuhn was asked to join John Coltrane’s newly-formed quartet.
Kuhn next joined Stan Getz’s band, which included bassist Scott LaFaro. After a period with Art Farmer, he formed the first Steve Kuhn Trio, with drummer Pete LaRoca and bassist Steve Swallow. At the end of the 1960s he spent four years living in Europe, where his performance had a significant impact upon local players. Upon returning to the United States, Kuhn began his long-term affiliation with ECM, resulting in a string of important albums including “Trance”, “Ecstasy”, “Non-Fiction” and the collaborations with Sheila Jordan, “Playground” and “Last Year’s Waltz”.
In the mid-80’s, Kuhn co-founded the popular All Star Trio, with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Al Foster, and launched a new, and still evolving, edition of his trio with bassist David Finck – drummers for the latter have included Joey Baron (as on the ECM recording “Remembering Tomorrow”), Lewis Nash and Billy Drummond. He continues to tour widely, with a strong following in Europe and, especially, Japan where his albums frequently appear in the jazz charts.
How High the Moon
Steve Kuhn Lyrics
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How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
There is no moon above
When love is far away too
Till it comes true
That you love me as I love you
Somewhere there's music
How near, how far
Somewhere there's heaven
It's where you are
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon
Somewhere there's music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon
The song "How High the Moon" is a beautiful love song that talks about how love can sometimes be far away and how music can help bring it closer. The lyrics start with "Somewhere there's music, how faint the tune," expressing how even a faint melody can bring joy and happiness, just like love does. The song then goes on to say that "Somewhere there's heaven, how high the moon," implying that the singer's love is as high and pure as the moon.
The next few lines describe love as being absent, as the moon is not visible in the sky when love is far away. The lyrics then express the hope that the love will come true, and the two lovers will finally come together. The second verse expresses the feeling that the lover is close, somewhere in heaven, making the darkest night shine, and making the lover's heart sing.
The final lines of the song express the longing of the lover to be united with his or her beloved, saying, "Until you will, how still my heart, how high the moon." The lyrics are simple yet profound, expressing deep emotions with beautiful metaphors of music and the moon.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere there's music
There is some music being played somewhere
How faint the tune
The music being played is very soft and difficult to hear
Somewhere there's heaven
There is a place that is very peaceful and beautiful
How high the moon
This place is so beautiful that the moon is very high up in the sky
There is no moon above
When love is not present, everything seems dark and bleak
When love is far away too
If I'm not with the person I love, it feels like there's no moon or light in the world
Till it comes true
Until my love is reciprocated, my world will be dark and empty
That you love me as I love you
I need my love to be returned equally in order to feel complete
How near, how far
The place where there's heaven and peace is both close and far away
It's where you are
The peaceful place is where the person I love is
The darkest night would shine
If my love would come to me, everything would be bright and beautiful
If you would come to me soon
If the person I love would come to me quickly, everything would be okay
Until you will, how still my heart
Until I'm with the person I love, my heart will remain still and empty
How high the moon
The beauty and peace of being with the person I love is unparalleled
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MORGAN LEWIS, NANCY HAMILTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind