Kenny Barron on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. CD

This isn't the first time that pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Dave Holland have played together – but there's definitely something special about the record that really grabs our ears – and it's not just the excellent work on drums by Johnathan Blake! Barron's at his roundest, most soulful sort of tone – really grabbing the notes out of the air in this wonderful way – and Holland really follows suit too, with this very personal, organic approach that's such a change from some of his more experimental work of years back – and which makes him a stunning part of the group, especially at all those many moments when he and Barron dance around each other's sound with this beautifully resonant vibe. Titles include "Until Then", "Porto Alegre", "Without Deception", "Speed Trap", "Secret Places", "Worry Later", and "Pass It On". CD

Not a trio date, but an unusual moody set – one that mostly has Kenny Barron on piano in duos with alternating bass accompaniment by Ron Carter and Michael Moore. LP, Vinyl record album

The Maybeck solo series produced plenty of greatness when it was going on – and one of the greatest moments was this sweet solo set from Kenny Barron! Barron's one of those players we never get tired of – and while we love him in group and trio settings, he's equally magical here working by himself – opening up on these long, lyrical numbers that have a really evocative feel – beautiful runs up and down the keyboard, but in ways that are extremely thoughtful and well-paced – and not just an unbridled display of his talents. There's a sense of soul to the set that never lets up – and titles include "Bud Like", "Witchcraft", "Sunshower", "And Then Again", "Skylark", and "Spring Is Here". CD

There's never been another pianist like Kenny Barron – and after all these years, he's still one of the few players who can grab our ears right away with each new album – and remind us again why each of his records seems so essential! Barron comes on strong and soulfully right from the start here – bursting with lyrical energy and life, but also hitting an inherently rhythmic vibe too – that sort of special pulse that seems to always flow through his music – and which, if anything, has only gotten stronger as the years go by! The trio here is a well-matched lineup with Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums – both players, especially Kitagawa, who know how to dip and move with Barron's notes in a wonderful way. Titles include Kenny Barron originals "Prayer", "Lunacy", "Dreams", "Bud Like", "Cook's Bay", and "Magic Dance". CD

Soulful genius from Kenny Barron – an excellent quintet outing from the late 80s, and one that really benefits from the presence of horns added to the trio! Kenny's work on piano is always great – and his sense of scope, soul, and timing are presented perfectly here – but what we really appreciate is the way that Eddie Henderson's trumpet and John Stubblefield's tenor flesh out the longer tunes on the set, and bring in even more colors that Barron's own writing and performance. The rest of the quintet features Cecil McBee on bass and Victor Lewis on drums – and tracks include the great originals "Lunacy", "518", and "Sand Dune" – plus "There Is No Greater Love" and "Misterioso". CD

A live trio recording with Barron on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. Tracks include "Solar", "Blue Moon", "Alter Ego", and "Everybody Loves My Baby, But My Baby Don't Love Nobody But Me". CD

Features Ron Carter on bass, Kenny Barron on piano, and Lewis Nash on drums! CD

Drummer Gerry Gibbs has a hell of a trio for this set – and a great batch of guests as well – all of whom help make some real magic on jazz instrumental versions of soul tunes from the 70s! The core trio features Kenny Barron on piano and Ron Carter on bass – both wonderfully sensitive players, without any of the "thrasher" qualities you might guess from the group's name on the cover – and some passages expand things with the addition of Warren Wolf on vibes, Steve Wilson on alto sax, and Larry Goldings on Hammond – all players we really love too. Titles include "Pick Up The Pieces", "Where Is The Love", "What's Going On", "Reasons", "Too High", "Fantasy", "Creepin", and "Brazilian Rhyme". CD

Not a trio date, but an unusual moody set – one that mostly has Kenny Barron on piano in duos with either Ron Carter or Michael Moore on bass. CD

A really free-wheeling live album from Kenny Barron – cut originally as a Japanese-only session for the ultra-hip Why Not label, and done with a sound that's a bit different than some of his American work of the time! The group's a trio – with Buster Williams on bass and Ben Riley on drums – and Barron's got a hard fire right from the start – stretching out on a set of tracks that all go well past the 10 minute mark, with a free approach to grooving – one that really lets him find his own space, solo-wise, yet never get too flowery or ever fail to swing – thanks to the hipness of the rhythm section! Titles include "Manha Do Carnaval", "Rhythm A Ning", and "Someday My Prince Will Come". CD

Cindy Blackman's one of those players who always surprises us with her music – coming across with a lot more to offer than just her unique role as a girl drummer in jazz – sounds so bold, we instantly forget her gender and pretty image on the cover, and always just let ourselves get swept away by the power of her music! This set is possibly one of Blackman's best from the Muse Records years – thanks to a top-shelf quartet that includes Gary Bartz on alto and soprano sax, Kenny Barron on piano, and Ron Carter on bass – a great trio even on their own, but given a nice sense of focus through Blackman's drums. As usual, Blackman penned some great originals for the date – and the setting is an especially nice one for Bartz, who's really given a lot of space for great solo work on the set. Titles include "The Oracle", "AJ", "Beatrice", "Traffic", "Why", "Our Blues", and "Who Needs Forever". CD

A trio of albums from one of our favorite trumpeters on the European scene! First up is Portrait – a set that stands as a tribute to trumpeter Dusko Goykovich's 70 years on this planet – and a record that features him in a variety of settings too! Other players include Ferdinand Povel on flute and tenor, Tony Lakatos on tenor, Steve Gut on trumpet, Isla Eckinger and Ray Drummond on basses, Abraham Burton on alto, and Kenny Barron and Tommy Flanagan on pianos – on titles that include "Recado Bossa Nova", "Balkan Blue", "Adriatica", "One For Klook", and "Inga". Next is Swinging Macedonia – a legendary German session from the 60s – and a record that really showcases the unusual criss-crossing of modes that was going on in the European scene at the time! There's a very strong MPS vibe here – as trumpeter Dusko Goykovich leads a swinging sextet that includes Nathan Davis on flute, soprano, and tenor – blowing some tremendously soulful reed lines – plus incredible rhythms from Mal Waldron on piano, Peter Trunk on bass, and Cees See on drums. The record's an attempt to bring traditional Macedonian rhythms into a jazz perspective – but with players like these, it swings in a way any Macedonian album never could – damn soulful, and with a great exotic vibe. Davis is especially great, and plays in a soaring modal vein that's similar to his work on his classic MPS sides, and on the records he cut in America in the early 70s. The album's a beautiful session that often get's overlooked because it blends it with the Enja catalog – but it's really more of a record that belongs in an MPS reissue series, and is a great lost groover that's waiting to be rediscovered by the Dusty Groove crowd. Titles include "Macedonia", "Old Fisherman's Daughter", "Jumbo Uganda", "Bem Basha", "Saga Se karame", and "The Nights Of Skopje". Brandenberg Concert features one of the greatest trumpeters on the European scene of the past few decades – heard here in a completely sublime setting! Dusko Goykovich has played in many styles and many ways, but hasn't ever done a date with full strings before – a long-overdue placement for his wonderful tone on trumpet – shimmering out front of a larger ensemble, in the manner of classic "with strings" dates by Dizzy Gillespie or Art Farmer! Altoist Peter King arranged the album – and titles are all originals by Dusko, some of which you might know from earlier records – reworked here beautifully for the new setting. King also solos on a handful of tracks too – a rich voice that provides a nice balance with Dusko's trumpet. Strings are never overdone, and the album's always got a nice swing from a core rhythm trio that features Renato Chicco on piano. Titles include "Good Old Days", "Handful O Soul", "Danca Comigo", "St Germain Des Pres", "Adriatica", "In My Dreams", and "I Miss You So". CD

Bassist Marlene Rosenberg leads a hell of a trio here – one that features Kenny Barron on piano and Lewis Nash on drums – both tremendous players who sound even better in the round, rich company of Rosenberg's bass! Most titles are trio numbers, but driven as much by the bass as by the always-wonderful work of Barron – and the tunes include many originals by Marlene – instrumentals, but with a current of the more righteous energy promised by the title. One exception is the great "Not The Song I Wanna Sing" – a number that has Rosenberg on vocals while Christian McBride handles the bass – alongside other vocal contributions from Thomas Burrell and Robert Irving III – which help make the song the most political number on the set. Titles include "The Line Between", "American Violet", "Togetherness", "And Still we Rise", "Visions", "The Barron", "Rain", "Love's In Need Of Love Today", and "Not The Song I Wanna Sing". CD

Rare Sonny Stitt from a great moment when he was really changing up his game – really long live tracks that stand in nice contrast to some of Sitt's tighter studio work of the early 70s! Here, Sonny's really in the kind of territory that lets his imagination as a soloist shine – blowing alto on tracks that mostly are in the ten minute range, with superb backing from the trio of Kenny Barron on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums! Barron is wonderful too – and again, sounds very different in this mode than on his Muse Records from the period – a further testament to the genius of some of these well-recorded sessions from Baltimore's Left Bank jazz society. Titles include "Deuces Wild", "Stella By Starlight", "A Different Blues", "Lover Man", "Star Eyes", and the 19 minute "Baltimore Blues". CD

Stellar work from the lovely lady – featuring a number of original songs, plus backing from a trio that features Kenny Barron on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

A bold little trio set from bassist Sam Jones – recorded with a great lineup that includes Keith Copeland on drums and Kenny Barron on piano! Barron plays both electric and acoustic piano on the album, and really brings a lot of his own strengths into play with Sam's bass work – and the best numbers on the album have them both stepping out in a highly rhythmic mode, really grooving along nicely with a pulse that both Jones and Kenny always have in the background, but don't display this strongly. Titles include Barron numbers "Tragic Magic" and "Seascape", and Jones originals "Lily", "Bittersuite", and "The Hymn Of Scorpio". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little small group session from trombonist Steve Turre – one that has the leader working with a quartet on the core numbers, then getting some great guest help from tenorist Javon Jackson on some other titles too! The quartet numbers alone are wonderful – laidback, soulful, and filled with easily-blown solos from Turre – who's working with a great rhythm trio of Kenny Barron on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – all of whom deliver more than their legend might imply in the setting! Jackson's horn gives his tracks a nicely special crackle – which seems to draw a bit more edge on Steve's trombone – and the final number also features some guest percussion from Cyro Baptista. Titles include "Mellow D For RC", "Taylor Made", "Quietude", "Joco Blue", "Coffee Pot", "Reflections", and "United". CD