Considering how accomplished he is in the solo piano idiom, jazz master Kenny Barron has precious few solo albums in his catalog. The Source, recorded in Paris when he was nearing age 80, is in fact his first solo outing since 1981 (At the Piano on Xanadu). It’s an authoritative collection of tunes by Thelonious Monk (“Well You Needn’t,” “Teo”), Billy Strayhorn (“Isfahan,” “Daydream”), and Barron himself—ranging from the melancholy waltz “Dolores Street, SF” to the tonally spiky, Monk-like “What If.” Barron’s impeccable touch and dynamic control fill the music with breath, swing, and surprise. It’s a fine complement not only to At the Piano (on which Monk and Strayhorn figured prominently as well), but also Barron’s duo work over the years with the likes of Stan Getz, Charlie Haden, and Dave Holland.
- 1992
- Kurt Rosenwinkel & Geri Allen
- Bill Charlap & Renee Rosnes
- Joey Calderazzo
- Eric Reed
- Phil Woods, Red Mitchell & Tommy Flanagan
- Emmet Cohen