KENNY BARRON TRIO - Book Of Intuition
Impulse Records
Kenny Barron (pno) Kiyoshi Kitagawa (bs) Johnathen Blake (drs)
Without doubt Kenny Barron is one of the most lyrical, sensitive and elegant pianists alive today. During a career spread over almost five decades he has released forty four albums under his own name plus many others with some of the world's most renowned artists. Many will place his time and recordings with Stan Getz in the late eighties as his greatest period, but in truth his standard has never dropped from the very early days with Dizzy Gillespie to his recent performances with this new trio. Following the huge success of his previous duo album alongside Dave Holland he has turned for this project to long term collaborators, the Japanese bass player Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Jonathen Blake who has recently starred with Alex Sipiagin's new group.
The album comprises seven original compositions by the leader with two Monk standards and one piece from the pen of Charlie Haden over it's one hour playing time. "Magic Dance" the opener has a very strong theme, so much so that the listener can think they are listening to an established standard, the piano is as expected superb with bass and drums integrating well as they do for the whole of the disc. The Bud Powell tribute "Bud Like" pays due homage to another great man in a highly rhythmic and probing way at high tempo. Although the overall sound of "Cooks Bay" has a Brazilian feel it is in fact a musical portrait of Lake Simcoe in Ontario. " In The Slow Lane" is just that and meanders along with a feeling of quiet calm. The two Thelonious Monk covers, "Shuffle Boil" and the highly recognizable "Light Blue" are played with a Monkish hue but do tend to lack the element of surprise that the composer always injected. Thing's move up tempo on "Lunacy" with prominent left hand chords and flawless interplay from the whole group. The bass appears to be too far back in the mix for most of the recording but comes to the fore with an outstanding solo on "Dreams" and a superb bowed contribution on the ballad like "Prayer". Full justice is given to the closer "Nightfall" a wonderful composition by the late lamented Charlie Haden which he originally recorded with our own John Taylor back in 2003.
Although this recording has a certain amount of predictability within the music it is in essence a highly absorbing album of the very highest quality by one of the great piano masters of his generation.
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
Impulse Records
Kenny Barron (pno) Kiyoshi Kitagawa (bs) Johnathen Blake (drs)
Without doubt Kenny Barron is one of the most lyrical, sensitive and elegant pianists alive today. During a career spread over almost five decades he has released forty four albums under his own name plus many others with some of the world's most renowned artists. Many will place his time and recordings with Stan Getz in the late eighties as his greatest period, but in truth his standard has never dropped from the very early days with Dizzy Gillespie to his recent performances with this new trio. Following the huge success of his previous duo album alongside Dave Holland he has turned for this project to long term collaborators, the Japanese bass player Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Jonathen Blake who has recently starred with Alex Sipiagin's new group.
The album comprises seven original compositions by the leader with two Monk standards and one piece from the pen of Charlie Haden over it's one hour playing time. "Magic Dance" the opener has a very strong theme, so much so that the listener can think they are listening to an established standard, the piano is as expected superb with bass and drums integrating well as they do for the whole of the disc. The Bud Powell tribute "Bud Like" pays due homage to another great man in a highly rhythmic and probing way at high tempo. Although the overall sound of "Cooks Bay" has a Brazilian feel it is in fact a musical portrait of Lake Simcoe in Ontario. " In The Slow Lane" is just that and meanders along with a feeling of quiet calm. The two Thelonious Monk covers, "Shuffle Boil" and the highly recognizable "Light Blue" are played with a Monkish hue but do tend to lack the element of surprise that the composer always injected. Thing's move up tempo on "Lunacy" with prominent left hand chords and flawless interplay from the whole group. The bass appears to be too far back in the mix for most of the recording but comes to the fore with an outstanding solo on "Dreams" and a superb bowed contribution on the ballad like "Prayer". Full justice is given to the closer "Nightfall" a wonderful composition by the late lamented Charlie Haden which he originally recorded with our own John Taylor back in 2003.
Although this recording has a certain amount of predictability within the music it is in essence a highly absorbing album of the very highest quality by one of the great piano masters of his generation.
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
