Book Of Intuition (2016)

"Kenny Barron (72) is the kind of jazz pianist whose resources are familiar and much-covered by mainstream swing players, but whose joyfully extravagant execution is a rarity today. That quality transforms this trio set from being a canter through a smooth-jazzy assortment of soft ballads, Latin smoochers and glossy swing. Barron has absorbed an encyclopaedia of jazz methods from a life on the road with legends such as Ella Fitzgerald and Stan Getz, and it pours out in these tracks. "Magic Dance", with its glistening chords and Latin-jazz tick, sounds smooth at first but unleashes an impulsive torrent. Ballads such as "In The Slow Lane" display his impeccably light touch. The jangling "Lunacy" is a collective bustle prodded by bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake, while "Nightfall" is delicate drift through slow chords. There might be too many notes for some on this record, but its almost all affectingly musical just the same." (John Fordham, The Guardian; 4 uit 5 sterren)