Kenny Barron Sextet
Village Vanguard178 7th Avenue South, New York 10014
Kenny Barron brings a sextet to the Village Vanguard for the late set on December 17. The billing confirms the six-piece format, though no personnel are listed for this date. In the Vanguard’s triangular downstairs room, the band plays for a listening audience of 123, with the stage set against its red curtain and the room arranged outward from it. The club asks for silence before the music begins, keeping attention on the performance.
A Philadelphia native, Barron is a pianist praised for “sophistication, sensitivity, and versatility.” His long career includes work with Dizzy Gillespie, Yusef Lateef and Stan Getz. NPR calls him “an institution” among jazz musicians, and hears a wide expressive range in his playing: “driving bebop, delicate ballads, bounding calypso and rhythms from across Brazil.” Those references provide the frame for a Barron-led sextet, while the specific players and repertoire for this date have not been announced in the available information.
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.