Cast
Kenny Barron — Bandleader, pianist
Marcus Strickland — Saxophonist
Riley Mulherkar — Trumpeter
Kiyoshi Kitagawa — Double bassist
Johnathan Blake — Drummer
Amos Rozenberg — Movie director
Program notes
Kenny Barron is a veteran pianist whose career has paved the way for the new generations. Considered one of the most influential in the post-bebop era, he has recorded prolifically over the decades, collaborating with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie early on and later recording several albums with the inimitable Stan Getz. He also co-led a Thelonious Monk tribute band for a time, called Sphere.
Here, at the Alfa Jazz Festival in the Ukraine, he is joined by an eclectic cast of talents in a set that reflects the many aspects of his long career. World-respected Americans Riley Mulherkar (trumpet) and Marcus Strickland (saxophone) comprise the brass section while Philly drummer Jonathan Blake keeps the groove and the supreme Japanese double bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa weaves all manner of moods into the mix.
They perform Barron originals, as well as tracks that nod to some of his career influences, like “Bebop” by his mentor, Dizzy Gillespie, and another tribute to Thelonious Monk via “Well You Needn't.”