By K.D. Norris
Kenny Barron knows his way around the jazz piano keyboard, and he knows his way up to the Grammy Awards stage as well.
Barron has earned 11 Grammy awards, beginning in 1992 for Best Jazz Album with “People Time”, his duet with the legendary Stan Getz, and most recently in 2017 for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.
The Kenny Barron Quintet will make their way to the Royce Auditorium stage at St. Cecilia Music Center on Thursday, Nov. 1, for a 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets are still available.
The Los Angles Times has called Barron “one of the top jazz pianists in the world” and Jazz Weekly to call him “The most lyrical piano player of our time”; the first being probably an understatement and the second hard to argue with.
Barron will come to St. Cecilia after releasing his latest recording this year, Blue Note recording titled “Concentric Circles” with his quintet.
Barron’s history of performance sounds like a Who’s Who of the American jazz world.
Born in 1943 in Philadelphia, while still in high school, Barron worked with drummer Philly Joe Jones and at age 19 he moved to New York City and freelanced with Roy Haynes, Lee Morgan and James Moody. According to his official biography, upon Moody’s recommendation Dizzy Gillespie hired Barron in 1962 without even hearing Baron play. After five years with Dizzy, Barron had played with Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, and Buddy Rich. The early seventies found him working with Yusef Lateef, whom he credits as a key influence in his art for improvisation.
Barron balanced touring with studies and earned his B.A. in Music from Empire State College and then joined the faculty at Rutgers University as professor of music. He held this tenure until 2000, mentoring many of today’s young talents including David Sanchez, Terence Blanchard and Regina Bell.
On the recording scene, in 1974 Barron recorded his first album as a leader for the Muse label, entitled “Sunset To Dawn.” This was to be the first in over 40 recordings as a leader. Throughout the 1980s, Barron collaborated with the great tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, touring with his quartet and recording several legendary albums including “Anniversary”, “Serenity” and the Grammy nominated “People Time”.
Barron’s own recordings for Verve have earned him nine Grammy nominations beginning in 1992 with “People Time”, followed by the Brazilian influenced “Sambao” and most recently for “Freefall” in 2002. Other Grammy nominations went to “Spirit Song”, “Night and the City” (a duet recording with Charlie Haden) and “Wanton Spirit” a trio recording with Roy Haynes and Charlie Haden.
In 2018, Barron celebrated his 75th birthday and mark the 50th year of a remarkable recording career that shows no signs of slowing down.
He has been honored by The National Endowment for the Arts as a Jazz Master. In 2005 he was inducted into the American Jazz Hall of Fame and in 2009 he was inducted into the National Academy of Arts and Sciences.
He was named Best Pianist in 2017 by the Jazz Journalists Association, marking a record seven times he has won the award.
For more information on Kenny Barron, visit kennybarron.com .
After the Kenny Barron Quintet, the remaining Jazz Series concerts are Joey DeFrancesco on Feb. 7, 2019, and Benny Green Trio & Veronica Swift on March 7, 2019.
Tickets for jazz series concerts range from $35-$45.
St. Cecilia Music Center is located at 24 Ransom NE, Grand Rapids. For tickets or more information call 616-459-2224 or visit www.scmc-online.org.
