You may not have heard of drummer Jonathan Barber, but he’s already arrived as a powerhouse. Word-of-mouth led him to transformative roles with tenor saxophonist JD Allen in 2013 and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt starting in 2017. After being named “#1 Up-and-Coming Drummer” in 2018 by Modern Drummer, he caught the ear of Pat Metheny, who brought him early into his Side-Eye project. Barber brings explosive intensity through muscular tom fills, rat-a-tat jabs on snare and sophisticated syncopation on cymbal. He leads the group Vision Ahead, blending fusion, bop and gospel feels, with his long-time personnel Andrew Renfroe on guitar, Taber Gable on keys, Matt Dwonszyk on bass and Matt Knoegel here on tenor. Captured live for the concert series “Musig im Pflegidach” (“Music in the Care Home Attic”), the performance of “Radar” unfolds under the aged wooden rafters of a Benedictine monastery founded in 1027 AD. Note the great blend of timbres, especially horn and guitar.

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