Kenny Barron
Kenny Barron (born June 9, 1943 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) is an American jazz pianist and composer .
Life
His professional career began in 1957 in Mel Melvin's band , in which his brother Bill also played. After moving to New York in 1959, he first played with Philly Joe Jones , then with Yusef Lateef , James Moody and Lee Morgan . As Barron himself says, Lateef had a great influence on the way he improvised. In 1961 he was hired by Lou Donaldson and two years later he switched to Dizzy Gillespie's quintet, where he succeeded Lalo Schifrin . After a European tour he switched to Freddie Hubbard and then played with Jimmy Owens , Joe Henderson , Esther Marrow , Milt Jackson , Stanley Turrentine and Stan Getz, among others . After that, Barron returned to Yusef Lateef in 1970. In 1973 the album Sunset to Dawn was created for Muse Records ; In 1981 he formed the group Sphere with Charlie Rouse (later replaced by Gary Bartz ).
Barron has received several Grammy nominations, including People Time (with Stan Getz), Sambao , Night and the City (with Charlie Haden ), Wanton Spirit (with Charlie Haden and Roy Haynes ) and Spirit Song . He has received the Best Pianist award from the Jazz Journalists Association four times in a row .
From 1973 to 2000 Kenny Barron taught at Rutgers University . His brother was the tenor saxophonist Bill Barron (1927-1989).
His compositions have been interpreted by many musicians; saxophonist Harvey Wainapel recorded an entire album of Barron tracks ("Ambrosia").
The swinging all-round pianist, equally versed in percussive and tied phrasing, is valued by many soloists, especially singers, as the ideal accompanist. He is the decisive driving force on many recordings as a sideman . He improvises in a varied and imaginative way.
In 2009 Barron was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . In 2010 he received the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship .
In the interview he says that with increasing age he becomes more willing to experiment, musically more daring and ventures out of his usual musical security.
Discographic notes
- Sunset to Town (Muse, 1973) with Warren Smith, Bob Cranshaw , Freddie Waits
- Green Chimneys (Criss Cross, 1983) with Buster Williams , Ben Riley
- Scratch ( Enja , 1985) with Dave Holland , Daniel Humair
- Rhythm-A-Ning (Candid, 1989) with Walter Booker , Jimmy Cobb
- The Artistry of Kenny Barron (Wave, 1990) with Peter Ind , Mark Taylor
- People Time (Emarcy, 1991) with Stan Getz
- Other Places ( Verve , 1993) with Bobby Hutcherson , Rufus Reid , Victor Lewis , Mino Cinelu
- But Beautiful (Steeplechase, 2000) Duo with Joe Locke
- Kenny Barron / Dave Holland Trio ft. Johnathan Blake : Without Deception (Dare2 Records, 2020; Best List Prize of the German Record Critics )
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kunzler Jazz Lexicon
Web links
- Works by and about Kenny Barron in the catalog of the German National Library
- Kenny Barron's website
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Barron, Kenny |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz pianist |
DATE OF BIRTH | June 9, 1943 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA |