Kenny Barron Sextet
Village Vanguard178 7th Avenue South, New York 10014
Kenny Barron is billed at the Village Vanguard with a sextet for this late set. The booking identifies the group as the Kenny Barron Sextet, but does not name the other musicians, so the personnel for this particular date remain unconfirmed. The performance takes place in the Vanguard's triangular basement room, with its red-curtained stage and tables fanning out toward it; the club asks for silence before the music begins and keeps the focus on the band.
Born in Philadelphia, Barron is a jazz pianist, composer and bandleader whose work moves through “driving bebop, delicate ballads, bounding calypso and rhythms from across Brazil,” according to NPR. NPR calls him “one of New York’s most talented and tasteful keyboard players” and notes his work with Dizzy Gillespie, Yusef Lateef and Stan Getz. Reviewing Barron’s quintet, The Guardian described him as a master of “modern mainstream jazz,” praising solos that are “expansive and surprising.”
A narrow basement staircase leads to a triangular room with a red curtain and a stage at the point, where musicians play for a small audience of 123. Tables open like spokes from the stage, and the walls hold portraits of jazz legends. The acoustics are excellent, and the only sound before the music begins is the hum of the room. No food is served, only drinks at a bar. Shows start at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., with seating beginning at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. respectively. The atmosphere is focused entirely on the music, with silence requested before the concert begins.