This year finally sees the release of The Source: another genuine solo effort by pianist Kenny Barron. He might be viewed as a master accompanist, but Barron is also a world class solo artist. As a schoolboy in 1959, he was already taking the stage with legendary drummer Philly Joe Jones. Later, he would go on to work with Roy Haynes, Lee Morgan and Dizzy Gillespie, and the latter also picked up on his sense of Latin and Caribbean rhythms. After a number of musical adventures with greats such as Freddie Hubbard, Milt Jackson, Buddy Rich and Yusef Lateef, the sensitive Barron combined an appointment as a music teacher with exciting artistic collaborations, including teaming up with Stan Getz in the 1980s. Barron also proved himself as a fantastic accompanist, for example alongside saxophonist Charlie Rouse in the group Sphere, and recently in some collaborative projects with Dave Holland. He’s turning eighty this June, and is celebrating his birthday in Rotterdam with his all-star quartet.
