Most of us who make our lives in music remember that watershed moment when theory and practice collided — when we finally got it. For me, that moment was when I first heard the world-renowned pianist Kenny Barron.
I was studying music far away from my home state of New Jersey, and I was hopelessly confused. Even after countless hours spent learning jazz theory and practicing for weekly lessons, I still had no idea how to swing, or comp, or even play my way out of a paper bag. Despondent, I called a childhood friend who had spent his first year studying saxophone at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” I told him.
“You should come here and study with Kenny Barron,” he replied.
“Who’s Kenny Barron?” I asked.
“Run, don’t walk, to the music library,” he responded. “It will all make sense after that.”
And indeed it did. Even after years of listening to the liturgy of jazz piano, hearing Kenny for the first time changed everything for me. The record was Four In One, by Sphere, the quartet formed in the spirit of Thelonious Monk’s music. And the song was Monk’s “Eronel.”
Kenny’s playing was like nothing I had ever heard before. His touch, time, and way of playing melodic lines with an inherent, almost explosive swing immediately resonated with me. His phrasing was impeccable, each note placed perfectly with intent. Lines rang out with bell-like clarity, as if they were played on a horn. I heard shades and colors in chord voicings like never before. And Kenny’s improvisations felt like living, breathing musical dialogues. They began as simple ideas, and logically developed until bursts of notes were catapulted in all directions. And as mesmerizing as Kenny’s playing could be, it always made sense.
After years of struggling, I finally understood how the pieces could all fit together. My previous teachers had always told me what to play, but Kenny showed me how to play. That one tune pointed me right where I needed to be — studying with the man at Rutgers University in New Jersey. And so I packed my bags and headed home.
Kenny’s biography reads like a “who’s who” of modern jazz. He’s played on some 500-plus records in his 64 years, performing with everyone from legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, and Abbey Lincoln to contemporary artists like David Sanborn and Regina Carter. But even with a full plate of touring and recording, he still finds the time to mentor a new generation of musicians, teaching at Rutgers, the Manhattan School of Music, and most recently, the Juilliard School.
Barron is a rarity among musicians, revered as much by his contemporaries as by his listening public. He also stands out as one of the few jazz artists who is as in-demand as a leader as he is as a sideman. Soloists have been calling him for decades, eager to have that rare pairing of grace and gumption holding steady beneath them. And singers know that there is no more sympathetic and eloquent an accompanist than Kenny Barron.
LESSONS LEARNED
Teaching with an inclusive approach built on inspiring his students to succeed, Barron has earned as much respect and critical acclaim from his work in the classroom as from his time on the bandstand. “When I first started teaching at Rutgers University, the jazz program was brand new and the level of the students hadn’t evolved to where it was in the ’90s,” Barron told me from his home in Brooklyn, New York. “While it was apparent that many of my piano students would never become professional players, I still wanted them to walk away from the lessons with some sense of the history of the music and some understanding of the harmonic and rhythmic components of jazz. It would have been an impossible task for the students if I was constantly barking at them or berating them. I think it’s important to emphasize those things that a student does well first and then deal with whatever musical problems arise. It’s about trying to instill some self-confidence in their own abilities.”
For me, studying with Kenny was, in many ways, a revelation. His teaching studio had two pianos; lessons revolved around him and his students playing tunes together, creating a musical dialogue that would continue each week. From developing a repertoire to figuring out how to articulately phrase and voice chords, students learned from Barron through osmosis.
“When I started at Rutgers, I was given a studio with two grand pianos, which I was very happy about,” Barron confirms. “One of the great things about playing along with the students is that I got a much clearer idea of how they might function in an actual [performance] situation. I could check out their time, their touch, the way they comped, the way they voiced chords, and many other things. After playing several duo tunes, I had a better idea of what that particular student needed to work on. More recently, with the students I had at the Manhattan School of Music and currently at Juilliard, they are extremely talented and playing becomes much more interactive with lots of give and take. I find myself learning a lot from them.”
Kenny’s seemingly non-academic approach imparted far more to me than endless pages of theory ever could — I and other students learned by sitting next to a master, hearing the shape of his melodic lines, and experiencing close-up the depth of his chord textures. “It is not my style to give the students a hundred voicings for a C dominant seventh chord,” he says. “I’d much rather say ‘these are the possibilities for a C7 chord,’ or ‘these are some ways we can color this chord.’ I find that when students discover things on their own, they don’t forget.”
Another area in which Kenny emphasizes self-discovery is composition. “It’s important that instrumentalists compose as much as possible, and that they also try composing larger pieces, in different styles and formats, using instrumentation they wouldn’t normally use,” he says. “I still compose and I’m trying to devote more time to it.”
Kenny also manages to touch upon the sometimes harsh realities of the music business, letting his pupils in on a lifetime of experience. “One of the things I often tell newer students is that they should play music because they love it, not because they’re seeking fame and fortune,” he says. “However, life and reality have a way of intruding, and sometimes, tough decisions have to be made. Hungry children really don’t care about poor, starving, sacrificing artists. They want to be fed and it’s much harder to support yourself and a family just playing music, let alone jazz. Students need to be aware — not discouraged — just aware. My advice to them is to try and create situations for yourself and also realize that on occasion, you may have to play a wedding or a hotel gig to keep the bills paid.”
EMOTIONAL DEXTERITY
Since the divide between university degree programs and live jazz performance experience can seem endless, Kenny stresses the need for the heart and hands to catch up with each other. “I think most musicians my age [64] and older learned by listening, imitating, learning solos by rote, and through ‘on the bandstand’ experience,” he says, “whereas young players today are for the most part trained in universities, colleges, and conservatories. Certain aspects of the music, mostly technical, they get to much sooner. Their sight-reading is impeccable. They’re able to negotiate the chord changes of any song with great ease. Their command of their instrument is flawless. But sometimes the emotional content seems to be thin. Of course, emotional content comes from living life, so I’m sure that will come.”For a seasoned pro like Barron, infusing the cerebral and visceral in his music is second nature. But how does he communicate this necessary union to his pupils? “As a rule, I don’t think too many music schools and conservatories spend a lot of time talking about the emotional aspect of music,” he replies. “After all, it’s not something that can be learned in ten easy lessons. I do believe, however, that it’s a subject that should be discussed. What is it about John Coltrane’s sound when he plays a ballad that evokes a certain mood? Or the fire of ‘Chasin’ the Trane’ that evokes an emotional response of another kind? Or the lushness of the harmonies of Bill Evans?
“The question I would ask the student is, how do these things make you feel? And if they elicit a strong response, how can I make this person sitting in the audience feel the way that I feel?”
A MASTER’S TOUCH
In an age where many modern pianists favor a percussive attack at the piano, Kenny Barron stands out with a touch invoking elegance and grace. “I have to credit the influence of Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones,” he says. “I first heard Tommy on the Sonny Rollins record Saxophone Colossus when I was in junior high school. It was his touch and also the clarity of his ideas that got me.”
Barron studied classical piano from the age of six until 16, learning the standard repertoire of Bach fugues, Beethoven sonatas, and Chopin etudes. “I believe the last piece I worked on back then was Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A-Minor, Op. 16,” he tells me. “My deepest regret is that I never continued to study classical piano when I moved to New York.”
Early on, Barron’s teacher, Vera Bryant Eubanks (mother of Tonight Show guitarist Kevin Eubanks, and sister of pianist Ray Bryant) instilled in him a work ethic that continues to this day. “The most important thing I got from her was a sense of discipline,” he says. “She made it very clear that in order to play music of any kind, practice was essential.”
With a schedule as busy as Barron’s, finding the time to practice can be a challenge. “When I’m traveling, practice is almost impossible,” he tells me. “So I try to steal some time before or after a sound check. I’m also a great believer in presenting yourself with problems on the bandstand and trying to solve them.”
IDENTITY & INFLUENCE
Barron’s signature sound at the piano is known the world over, and is due in no small part to the undeniable swing in his phrasing. Melodic ideas seem to propel themselves forward in bursts of controlled energy. “Whatever sense of swing I have I believe I certainly got from horn players and from drummers, because I really like to lock up with the drummer,” he says. “Wynton Kelly was someone I was really into as far as his feeling, phrasing, and sense of swing.”
Other pianists Barron cites as inspiration include Mulgrew Miller, Rodney Kendrick, and Richie Beirach. “I was also fortunate enough to get to hear Teddy Wilson and Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines quite a bit,” he continues, “as well getting to hear Marian McPartland on tour in Japan for three weeks.”
While many of Barron’s most notable recordings feature his mainstream, post-bop piano work, Brazilian music won him over years ago, and always seems to find its way into his recordings and concerts. “I was first introduced to Brazilian music during my time with Dizzy,” says Kenny. “Stan Getz also had a couple of hit bossa novas around that time. I think what really got me interested in playing Brazilian music was hearing Sergio Mendes and Brazil ’65 for the first time. That was the first group of Brazilian musicians I heard and there were definite differences in the feeling. In recent years, having the chance to perform with great players from Brazil like Duduka Da Fonseca, Nilson Matta, Romero Lubambo, Valthino, Edison Machado, and several others was a great learning experience for me.”
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE
While music tastes and delivery formats can evolve rapidly, Barron remains convinced that music from the heart is the most revolutionary innovation of all. “The music business has changed a lot,” he observes. “Major labels have down-sized, in terms of jazz artists, to the point of almost non-existence. Jazz radio is a very tiny market and touring is becoming very difficult unless you happen to be the flavor of the month. Those older musicians who have managed to remain active and relevant do so because their music is honest and from the heart, and they’re still willing to take chances in their music.
“I can honestly say that in 45 years, I haven’t changed anything except that as I get older, I’m beginning to really enjoy myself whenever I play. There are slow periods, and there are periods when I can’t seem to catch my breath, so I feel blessed. I’m still signed with Universal France with one more recording to do.” While Barron’s attitude towards playing hasn’t changed much, his feelings towards recording have recently shifted. “I have, in the last few years come to view recording more as documentation of where you are at any given point in time,” he says. “And as a chance to perhaps go past that point.”
THE GENTLE GIANT
The quiet eloquence on which Barron built his musical legacy follows him off the bandstand as well. He reflects on his reputation as a man with a centered sense of himself.
“It’s difficult to think of myself in that way,” he says. “I believe that the ability to touch people with music is a gift for which one should be thankful and humble. If I am centered, I think my environment as a child played a big part. My parents were pretty quiet, settled, and relaxed people, so my brothers and sisters and I were pretty much the same. I also learned about being responsible and reliable and treating people with respect.
“Having objectives and goals and being able to concentrate on those is important,” he continues. “Right now however, my most important goal is to enjoy my life — to enjoy playing music, to enjoy my family and friends, and to learn from other musicians. Those are my goals now and they keep me focused.”
SIDESTEP
One of the most in-demand sidemen for over 40 years, Barron’s selfless support is the perfect marriage of accent and accompaniment. Like a great conversationalist, he knows when to listen, and when to respond.
“I believe it is important to prod but not push,” he says. “As a sideman, I don’t think one should draw undue attention to oneself. It’s important to understand that silence is a part of music too, and to utilize space and harmonic colors.” And what does one of the most recorded and requested sideman of our time look for when choosing musicians for his own band? “Great time, big ears, creativity, and the ability to have fun on the bandstand,” he says.
Of late, Barron has devoted more time to leading his own group, stepping out more frequently as a bandleader. “I find that as a sideman, I have to help nurture and bring to fruition the bandleader’s musical vision, while as a leader it’s my own musical vision that I’m dealing with. I do admit that I feel less constrained in that role.”
FOR TODAY & TOMORROW
Barron’s schedule and enthusiasm are as strong as ever, with projects planned well into ’08 and beyond. “I’m currently writing music for a new recording which will feature my trio with Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and Francisco Mela on drums,” he says. “There will also be some special guests: Lionel Loueke on guitar and several vocalists, namely Gretchen Parlato, Grady Tate, and Ann Hampton Calloway. They’ll be singing some of my originals, with lyrics by Janice Jarrett. She’s written lyrics for 20 or 25 of my compositions, so I thought, why not record them with some of my favorite singers?
“I’d also like to write an extended piece for string quartet and trio. There’s a string quartet at the Juilliard School where I teach composed of young African-American women called Ebony Strings. I would love to use them for that project.”
And how does Barron feel to have scores of previous students following in his footsteps, making lives for themselves in music? “It’s great to know that many of them out there are playing, recording, and composing,” he says. “And to feel that perhaps I played some small part in that.”
A SELECTED KENNY BARRON DISCOGRAPHY
With Sphere:
Four In One (WEA)
With Stan Getz:
People Time (Polygram)
With Tommy Flanagan:
Together (Denon)
Scratch (Enja)
The Only One (Reservoir)
Sambao (Polygram)
Jon Regen is a New York City-based pianist, singer, and songwriter, and a recent contributor to Keyboard. He studied with Kenny Barron from 1989–1993. His latest album, Let It Go, was just released, and features Andy Summers of The Police and Martha Wainwright. You can find out more about him at www.jonregen.com and www.myspace.com/jonregen.