Kenny Barron Quartet
Village Vanguard178 7th Avenue South, New York 10014
On December 26, the Kenny Barron Quartet is billed at Village Vanguard in Manhattan. The listing identifies a quartet, but gives no individual personnel, guest artist, program, release, tribute, residency, or late-set detail. The performance takes place in the Vanguard's triangular downstairs room, with the stage at its point and tables radiating outward. The room holds 123 listeners; portraits of jazz legends line the walls. The house asks for silence before the concert, keeping attention on the performance.
The available material identifies the act by its billed name, Kenny Barron Quartet, but supplies no account of Barron's origins, musical history, collaborators, recordings, or critical reception. It also does not name the other members of this particular quartet, so the billed formation is the only lineup information for the night. What the venue description does establish is a listening-room setting: a narrow basement approach, excellent acoustics, a red curtain behind the stage, and drinks available at the bar rather than food service.
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.