Kirk Lightsey I Will Never Stop Loving You

Kirk Lightsey's solo album I Will Never Stop Loving You blends intimacy and mastery, revisiting standards with subtlety, emotion, and grace.

I Will Never Stop Loving You is a rare and intimate solo studio album by legendary jazz pianist Kirk Lightsey. Dedicated to his wife Nathalie, it captures the deep, personal connection between Lightsey and his instrument--where even the faintest pedal touch or trace of breath becomes part of the music. This is more than a performance; it's a conversation, full of nuance and emotional depth.

A key figure of the Detroit school of jazz pianists, Lightsey is known for his refined improvisation, harmonic richness, and instantly recognizable phrasing. His touch is personal and poetic, blending tradition with singular expression. Decades after his acclaimed solo recordings Lightsey I, Lightsey II, and Lightsey Live, this new album affirms his creative vitality and grace.

Recorded on a Fazioli piano at Studio de Meudon--rather than the Steinway instruments he's long favored--the album offers a different sonic color, which Lightsey explores with sensitivity and elegance. The repertoire includes cherished standards and works that have become closely linked with him: Tony Williams' "Pee Wee," Phil Woods' "Goodbye Mr. Evans," and a strikingly unconventional version of Coltrane's "Giant Steps." Three compositions by Wayne Shorter, from the Speak No Evil era, echo Lightsey's long musical relationship with the late saxophonist.

The album opens with the title track, I Will Never Stop Loving You, recorded in a single take. Producer Simon Belelty had long hoped to capture Lightsey's interpretation after hearing it just once, many years earlier. That recording sets the tone for the rest of the album--tender, mature, and profoundly human.

With I Will Never Stop Loving You, Kirk Lightsey offers a masterclass in restraint, intimacy, and storytelling. It's a quietly powerful record that draws the listener in with each breath, touch, and pause--a timeless work from one of jazz's most distinctive and soulful voices.

Track Listing

I'll Never Stop Loving You Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum Pee Wee Infant Eyes Goodbye Mr. Evans Giant Steps Wild Flower