Kenny Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

pianist, who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era.

Biography

Born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

, Kenny Barron is the younger brother of tenor saxophonist Bill Barron (1927–1989). One of his first gigs was as pianist with the Dizzy Gillespie quartet. Barron was briefly a member of

the Jazztet The Jazztet was a jazz sextet, co-founded in 1959 by trumpeter Art Farmer and tenor saxophonist Benny Golson, always featuring the founders along with a trombonist and a piano-bass-drums rhythm section. In its first phase, the Jazztet lasted unt ...

around 1962, but did not record with them. He graduated in 1978 with a BA in arts from

Empire State College Empire State College (SUNY Empire or ESC) is a public university headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Empire State College is a multi-site institution offering associate ...

(Metropolitan Center, New York City). He co-led the groups

Sphere A sphere () is a geometrical object that is a three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three-dimensional space.. That given point is the c ...

and the Classical Jazz Quartet. Between 1987 and 1991, Barron recorded several albums with

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre ...

, most notably '' Voyage'', '' Bossas & Ballads – The Lost Sessions'', '' Serenity'', ''Anniversary'' and ''People Time'', a two-CD set. He has been nominated nine times for Grammy Awards and for the American Jazz Hall of Fame. He was elected a Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

in 2009. In May 2010, Barron was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music along with African-born singer/songwriter

Angelique Kidjo Angelique or Angélique may refer to: * Angélique (given name), a French feminine name Arts and entertainment Music * Angélique (instrument), a string instrument of the lute family * ''Angélique'', a 1927 opéra bouffe by Jacques Ibert * ...

, Spanish guitarist

Paco de Lucia Paco is a Spanish nickname for Francisco. According to folk etymology, the nickname has its origins in Saint Francis of Assisi, who was the father of the Franciscan order; his name was written in Latin by the order as ''Pater Communitatis'' (fat ...

, and songwriting duo Leon Huff and Kenneth Gamble. For over 25 years, Barron taught piano and keyboard harmony at

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

in New Jersey. He now teaches at the Juilliard School of Music. His piano students have included Earl MacDonald,

Harry Pickens Harry Pickens is an American jazz pianist. He began his career with the Blue Note Records group Out of the Blue before releasing several albums as leader. Allmusic credits/ref> Pickens has been a mainstay feature at the Idyllwild Arts Jazz in ...

, Jon Regen and

Aaron Parks Aaron Parks (born October 7, 1983) is an American jazz pianist. Career A native of Seattle, Parks studied at the University of Washington at the age of 14 through the Transition School and Early Entrance Program as a double major in computer sc ...

Discography

* '' You Had Better Listen'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

, 1967) with Jimmy Owens * '' Sunset to Dawn'' (

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in ...

, 1973) * ''

Peruvian Blue ''Peruvian Blue'' is a studio album by American pianist Kenny Barron that was recorded in 1974 and first released on the Muse label. Reception In his review on Allmusic, Scott Yanow notes: "''Peruvian Blue'' has more than its share of vari ...

'' (Muse, 1974) * '' In Tandem'' (Muse, 1975

980 Year 980 ( CMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Peace is concluded between Emperor Otto II (the Red) and King Lothair III (or Lothair IV) a ...

with

Ted Dunbar Earl Theodore Dunbar (January 17, 1937 – May 29, 1998) was an American jazz guitarist, composer, and educator. Career Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Dunbar trained as a pharmacist at Texas Southern University, but by the 1970s he only did pharma ...

* '' Lucifer'' (Muse, 1975) * ''

Innocence Innocence is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence is to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime. In other contexts, it is a lack of experience. In relatio ...

'' (Wolf, 1978) * '' Together'' ( Denon, 1978) with

Tommy Flanagan Thomas Lee Flanagan (March 16, 1930 – November 16, 2001) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He grew up in Detroit, initially influenced by such pianists as Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, and Nat King Cole, and then by bebop musicians. ...

* '' Golden Lotus'' (Muse, 1980 982 * '' Kenny Barron at the Piano'' ( Xanadu, 1981 982 * ''

Imo Live ''Imo Live'' is a live album by pianist Kenny Barron that was recorded in Japan in 1982 and first released on the Whynot label in 1982 before being reissued on CD by Candid Records in 2010 as ''Live''.Fitzgerald, MKenny Barron Discography accesse ...

'' ( Whynot, 1982) * '' Spiral'' (Baybridge, 1982) * '' Green Chimneys'' ( Criss Cross Jazz, 1983) * '' 1+1+1'' (BlackHawk, 1984 986 with Ron Carter and Michael Moore * ''

Landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

'' ( Baystate, 1984) * '' Autumn in New York'' (

Uptown Uptown may refer to: Neighborhoods or regions in several cities United States * Uptown, entertainment district east of Downtown and Midtown Albuquerque, New Mexico * Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina * Uptown, area surrounding the University of Ci ...

, 1984) - reissued as ''New York Attitude'' * '' Scratch'' ( Enja, 1985) * '' What If?'' (Enja, 1986) * '' Two as One'' (Red, 1986) with

Buster Williams Charles Anthony "Buster" Williams (born April 17, 1942) is an American jazz bassist. Williams is known for his membership in pianist Herbie Hancock's early 1970s group, working with guitarist Larry Coryell from the 1980s to present, working in the ...

* ''

The Red Barron Duo ''The Red Barron Duo'' is an album by pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Red Mitchell recorded in Stockholm and released on the Dutch Storyville label.Fitzgerald, MKenny Barron Discography accessed January 20, 2019 Reception In his review on ...

'' (Storyville, 1986

988 Year 988 ( CMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Fall – Emperor Basil II, supported by a contingent of 6,000 Varangia ...

with Red Mitchell * ''

Live at Fat Tuesdays ''Live at Fat Tuesdays'' is a live album by pianist Kenny Barron that was recorded in 1988 and released on the German Enja label.Fitzgerald, MKenny Barron Discography accessed January 20, 2017. Reception In his review on Allmusic, Ron Wynn ...

'' (Enja, 1988) * ''

Rhythm-a-Ning This is a list of compositions by jazz musician Thelonious Monk. 0-9 52nd Street Theme A contrafact based loosely on rhythm changes in C, and was copyrighted by Monk under the title "Nameless" in April 1944. The tune was also called "Bip Bop" b ...

'' (

Candid Candid may refer to: * Candid (app), a mobile app for anonymous discussions * Candid (organization), providing information on US nonprofit companies * Candid Records, a record label * Ilyushin Il-76, NATO reporting name ''Candid'', a Soviet aircra ...

, 1989) with

John Hicks Sir John Richards Hicks (8 April 1904 – 20 May 1989) was a British economist. He is considered one of the most important and influential economists of the twentieth century. The most familiar of his many contributions in the field of economic ...

* '' The Only One'' (

Reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contr ...

, 1990) * '' Live at Maybeck Recital Hall Volume Ten'' (

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the ...

, 1990) * '' Invitation'' (Criss Cross Jazz, 1990) * ''

Lemuria-Seascape ''Lemuria-Seascape'' is an album by pianist Kenny Barron which was recorded in early 1991 and released on the Candid label.Fitzgerald, MKenny Barron Discography accessed January 23, 2019 Reception In his review on AllMusic, Ron Wynn stated ...

'' (Candid, 1991) * '' Quickstep'' (Enja, 1991) * '' The Moment'' (Reservoir, 1991

994 Year 994 ( CMXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * September 15 – Battle of the Orontes: Fatimid forces, under Turkish gener ...

* '' Confirmation'' (Candid, 1991) with Barry Harris * '' Sambao'' ( Verve, 1992) * '' Other Places'' (Verve, 1993) * ''

Wanton Spirit ''Wanton Spirit'' is a studio album by the American jazz pianist Kenny Barron, with drummer Roy Haynes and bassist Charlie Haden. The album was released in 1994 on the Verve Records label. ''Wanton Spirit'' was nominated for a 1996 Grammy Award ...

'' (Verve, 1994) with Roy Haynes and Charlie Haden * '' Things Unseen'' (Verve, 1995

997 Year 997 ( CMXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 1 February: Empress Teishi gives birth to Princess Shushi - she is the first child of the ...

* ''

Swamp Sally ''Swamp Sally'' is an album by pianist Kenny Barron and multi-instrumentalist Mino Cinelu recorded in New York in 1995 and first released on the Verve label.Fitzgerald, MKenny Barron Discography accessed January 30, 2019 Reception The revie ...

'' (Verve, 1995) with Mino Cinelu * '' Live at Bradley's'' (

EmArcy EmArcy Records is a jazz record label founded in 1954 by the American Mercury Records. The name is a phonetic spelling of "MRC", the initials for Mercury Record Company. During the 1950s and 1960s, musicians such as Max Roach, Clifford Brown, ...

, 1996 001 * ''

Live at Bradley's II ''Live at Bradley's II'' (subtitled ''The Perfect Set'') is a live album by pianist Kenny Barron recorded in New York in 1996 and first released on the French Universal label in 2005 then on Sunnyside Records in the United States. Reception I ...

'' (Universal, 1996 005 * '' Night and the City'' (Verve, 1996 998 with Charlie Haden * '' Spirit Song'' (Verve, 1999) * '' Freefall'' (Verve, 2000) with Regina Carter * ''

Canta Brasil ''Canta Brasil'' is an album by pianist Kenny Barron recorded in New York in 2002 and released on the Sunnyside label.Fitzgerald, MKenny Barron Discography accessed January 24, 2019 Reception In the review on AllMusic, Judith Schlesinger no ...

'' ( Sunnyside, 2002) * '' Images'' (Sunnyside, 2003) * '' Super Standard'' ( Venus, 2004) * '' The Traveler'' (Sunnyside, 2007) * '' Minor Blues'' (Venus, 2009) * '' Kenny Barron & the Brazilian Knights'' (Sunnyside, 2012) * ''

The Art of Conversation ''The Art of Conversation'' is a studio album by English jazz bassist Dave Holland and American jazz pianist Kenny Barron. The record was released via the Impulse! Records label on October 14, 2014. The album contains 10 compositions: a mix of j ...

'' ( Impulse!, 2014) with Dave Holland * ''

Book of Intuition ''Book of Intuition'' is a studio album by jazz pianist Kenny Barron with bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake. The album was released on March 4, 2016, via Impulse! Records label. Background The album contains 10 tracks, of whi ...

'' (Impulse!, 2016) * '' Concentric Circles'' (Blue Note, 2018) * ''

Without Deception ''Without Deception'' is a studio album by English jazz bassist Dave Holland, drummer Johnathan Blake, and pianist Kenny Barron. The album was released on by Dare2, Holland's own label. The album was recorded in Mount Vernon, New York, and cons ...

'' (Dare2, 2020) with Dave Holland Sources:

References

External links

Official websiteKenny Barron Discography at ''www.JazzDiscography.com''Kenny Barron at NPR MusicKenny Barron iPhone/iPad application
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barron, Kenny American jazz pianists American male pianists American jazz keyboardists African-American pianists African-American jazz musicians Jazz fusion pianists Mainstream jazz pianists Post-bop pianists Hard bop pianists Musicians from Philadelphia Enja Records artists Muse Records artists Red Records artists Verve Records artists Xanadu Records artists Criss Cross Jazz artists Candid Records artists Chesky Records artists 1943 births Living people Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Empire State College alumni 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania 21st-century American keyboardists 21st-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Sphere (American band) members The Jazztet members Reservoir Records artists African-American jazz pianists 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American musicians