Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify. 
Eight years after becoming an NEA Jazz Master, with critics declaring him one of the top jazz pianists in the world, Kenny Barron is still striving to reach new creative heights as he continues to record and tour with many different instrumental configurations. This year, the esteemed bandleader, composer and educator will celebrate his 75th birthday and mark the 50th year of a remarkable recording career that shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, this year will be punctuated with yet another milestone: the release of his Blue Note Records debut, “Concentric Circles.” The sublime set features eight new originals and finds the 11-time Grammy nominee introducing a new edition of his quintet with saxophonist Dayna Stephens, trumpeter Mike Rodriguez, bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa, and drummer Johnathan Blake.
Inspired by the experience of adding a string quartet to his trio for several compositions for his “Altered Narrative” recording, pianist Danny Green devoted himself to creating a body of work for his expanded ensemble. With a vivid blend of jazz, classical, and Brazilian elements in his composing already, the added textural possibilities allow Green to further explore orchestration and the blurring of genre and musical influence for surprising and satisfying results on his new CD, “One Day It Will.” WNPR says “Green’s eloquent eclecticism—a gift that includes writing everything from celebratory blues to meditative reflections to composing for a string quartet–illuminates his sparkling new release.”
Also this we
ek, pianist Benito Gonzalez, drummer Gerry Gibbs and bassist Essiet Okon Essiet tackle the music of McCoy Tyner on “Passion Reverence Transcendence”.
Pianist Bill O’Connell gather
s up friends like Randy Brecker, Craig Handy, Conrad Herwig and Andrea Brachfeld for “Jazz Latin”.
Trumpeter Eddie Henderson includes Kenny Barron and alto saxophonist Donald Harrison in his quintet for “Be Cool.”