Kenny Barron Sextet
Village Vanguard178 7th Avenue South, New York 10014
Kenny Barron is billed at the Village Vanguard as the Kenny Barron Sextet, though the venue’s available December 19 listing names a four-piece band: Barron on piano with Immanuel Wilkins on saxophone, Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass, and Johnathan Blake on drums. It is the late set in the Vanguard’s triangular basement room, where the stage faces 123 seats and the room’s attention is reserved for the music.
Barron comes from Philadelphia, where he began playing professionally as a teenager. He joined Dizzy Gillespie’s band in 1962, then worked with Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, and Buddy Rich. The Guardian calls him “among today’s reigning masters” of modern mainstream jazz, noting solos that are “expansive and surprising.” NPR hears a range from “driving bebop” and “delicate ballads” to “bounding calypso and rhythms from across Brazil.” With Wilkins, Kitagawa, and Blake, this documented lineup places Barron’s piano at the head of a seasoned quartet for the evening’s later performance.
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.