Search - Kenny Barron :: Scratch

Don't miss this one !

M. Rodriguez Frederic | 07/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cautious and brilliant accompanist in the be-bop tradition (cf.albums by Lee Morgan, Dizzy Gillespie, David Murray, Bobby Hutcherson, and later Stan Getz)who carries on the touch and tradition of Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Barron is also a pianist of well-tempered dynamics and taste. Leader of a trio with Buster Williams/Ray Drummond on bass and Ben Riley/Al Foster on drums(Ben Riley is former Thelonious Monk drummer with Charlie Rouse and Al Foster is former Miles Davis drummer...) since the mid 1970s, Kenny Barron records in 1985 this superb album, perhaps his best. The idea of this recording is from Matthias Winckelmann, ENJA's producer. He callled Kenny to propose a recording with Dave Holland (on double-bass) and Daniel Humair (on drums). The latter was regularly playing with German pianist Joachim Kuhn in a superlative avant-guard trio format.
The result here is wonderful. No mawkishness. No shooting the line. One the best piano trios of all time. Interplay, empathy, sensitivity, and a gigantic drummer : Daniel Humair pushes the pianist to areas never explored before on his records.
A MUST HAVE."