Kenny Barron: So Many Lovely Things: Live in Brecon

Kenny Barron had the responsibility of playing piano on People Time (Universal Records, 1991) with Stan Getz—a poignant 7 CD box set recorded just three months before the saxophonist's death. Throughout those sessions, Barron displayed an extraordinary sensitivity. Now, as then, his piano phrasing is marked by incredible restraint and weightless grace.

That same brilliance shines through on So Many Lovely Things: Live in Brecon, an archival jazz release from Elemental Music that captures a masterclass by one of the finest piano trios in jazz history. Led by NEA Jazz Master Barron, alongside the formidable Ray Drummond on bass and the legendary Ben Riley on drums, this double album catches the trio operating at the peak of their powers. 

Recorded on August 12, 1995, at the Brycheiniog Theatre during the Brecon Jazz Festival in Wales, the concert was just one of many stops on their second European tour that year. In fact, according to liner notes writer Ted Panken, Barron himself has no memory of the gig.

Yet, the defining characteristic of this recording is the trio's "think-as-one" musical intuition. The interplay feels less like a conventional performance and more like a fluid, telepathic conversation among old friends. 

Barron introduces melodies with a delicate touch, resisting empty grandstanding to let the emotional core of each track surface naturally. He is flanked by a spectacular rhythm section: Ray Drummond—nicknamed "Bulldog" after a detective in an old film—was a brilliant composer, arranger, and educator who played with the Mingus Dynasty, Art Farmer, and Freddie Hubbard. Here, Drummond supports the trio with quiet authority, providing a solid harmonic foundation while engaging in a real-time, contrapuntal dialogue with Barron's improvisations. Meanwhile, Ben Riley shows the immense versatility that made him a staple of bebop and straight- ahead jazz, including a famous tenure with Thelonious Monk. Riley's brushwork is masterful, and his ride cymbal work—once described by a critic as "mystical"—shapes the pulse of the room with a subtle, percussive drive that pushes the music forward without ever overcrowding the sonic landscape.

Spanning ten expansive interpretations, the tracklist deftly balances Great American Songbook chestnuts, bebop classics, and compelling originals. The two Thelonious Monk pieces, "Shuffle Boil" and "Don't Ask Me Now" (often titled "Ask Me Now"), produce some fascinating takes on the composer's work. Played as a solo, "Shuffle Boil" features a rhythmic quirkiness that Monk himself would likely approve of. On the other hand, "Don't Ask Me Now" is treated with a fluidity and lyrical grace rarely heard in Monk's own performances.

The trio achieves a breathtaking atmosphere and deep sensitivity on "The Very Thought of You," and Barron's own composition, "Silent Rain," where the group's collective restraint is deeply moving. Conversely, up-tempo tracks like "Oh, Look at Me Now" and "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" possess a brilliant drive, as the band injects freshness and a subtle swing into well-known melodies.


Produced by archival specialist Zev Feldman from the tapes of Spanish promoter Jordi Suñol, the audio quality of this release is excellent. The restoration keeps the piano pristine, the acoustic bass warm, and the drums remarkably crisp. Ultimately, So Many Lovely Things is straight-ahead jazz played by three absolute masters at work, resulting in deeply satisfying music.