KENNY BARRON

Kenny Barron is the reigning master of a jazz’s mainstream piano lineage, which reaches back from Hank Jones, Oscar Peterson and Tommy Flanagan to founding fathers like Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson and Earl Hines. A subtle player who realizes beautiful ideas with an elegant touch, Barron has accompanied or been accompanied by a parade of greats ranging from Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz and Yusef Lateef to Freddie Hubbard, Roy Haynes, Dave Holland and violinist Regina Carter. The pianist’s flexibility has let him shine, whatever the circumstances, whatever's called for, and his unerring taste is evident in his own albums, typically melodic, warm and bright. Kenny Barron was named a Jazz Master by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts in 2010, but his mastery was recognized by his peers and jazz fans long before then, and he continues to get even better, every time he touches the ivories.