For more than twenty-five years Bradley's, located in the heart of Greenwich Village, was the home and headquarters of New York City's Jazz community, the place where musicians regularly congregated after their gigs or on their nights off, to have a drink, listen to their peers and hear the latest news of jazz from around the world. Ostensibly, just another of the great city's many piano bars, the proliferation of great players, particularly piano players, in the club, created a uniquely hip atmosphere leading to the performance of music of unparalleled profundity and swing. Kenny Barron was one of the regular Bradley's pianists, playing there several times annually for most of the club's many years of operation. These engagements allowed him a respite from his position as one of the music's busiest sideman while affording him the opportunity to display his growing talents as a leader of his own groups.
The trio Barron leads on this recording is one of his most popular and enduring groups, continuing to perform to this day. The unit features two of his most trusted and sympathetic collaborators.
Ray Drummond, one of the most active bass players on the jazz scene, performed often at Bradley's with many of New York's finest pianists, making him a perfect foil for Barron's multifaceted talent. A tenacious timekeeper and swinging and thoughtful improviser, the bassist's contributions to this recording are evident throughout.
Ben Riley, best known for his many years of experience as the drummer with Thelonious Monk's trio and quartet, is a longtime Barron bandmate, going back to the 1970's when they were both members of Ron Carter's double bass quartet. Riley's tasteful and melodic percussion greatly enhances the sophisticated sound of the trio.
The disc features five varied selections from the group's expansive repertoire that are clearly representative of the continuum of the jazz piano tradition. The date begins with “Everybody Loves My Baby". Miles Davis's classic “Solar", Rodgers and Hart's “Blue Moon" and James Williams' “Alter Ego" follow. The set concludes with one of jazz piano's most popular classics, Eddie Heywood's “Canadian Sunset".
Contact: Sunnyside Records or [email protected]
On Tour:
June 27 JVC Festival Birdland, NYC July 11 San Javier, Spain July 19 Salon, France July 20 Perugia, Italy July 26 Centrum Jazz Festival Pt. Townsend, WA July 27 Stern Grove Festival, San Francisco August 3 Marciac Jazz Festival, France Aug 22-24 Regattabar, Boston Sep 1 Chicago Jazz Festival Sep 3-8 Iridum Jazz Club, NYC Sep 19 Englewood, NJ Sep 27 Kennedy Center, Washington, DC Sep 28 Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI Sep 29 Grand Opera House, Oshkosh, WI Sep 30 Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC October 4 Azores October 11 The Peddie School, Hightstown, NJ Oct 12 Spivey Hall, Atlanta Oct 13 UNO, New Orleans Oct 22-27 Village Vanguard, NYC Nov 2-3 Colgate University, NY
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