SFJAZZ presents the Kenny Barron Quintet featuring Jonathan Blake, Stefon Harris, Kiyoshi Kitagawa, & Elena Pinderhughes
2016-04-22
Miner Auditorium
SFJAZZ Center, 205 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA
7:30 PM, Friday, April 22, 2016

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

[7:36 PM lights down, announcements]

1. [7:40 PM] And Then Again
2. [7:56 PM] In the Slow Lane
3. [8:14 PM] Hey! It's Me You're Talking To
   [solo piano medley]
4. [8:32 PM] Lotus Blossom
5. [8:33 PM] A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing
6. [8:34 PM] Melancholia
7. [8:36 PM] Star-crossed Lovers
   [the band returns]
8. [8:38 PM] Phantoms
   [set ends 9:04 PM]
    
   Encore
9. [9:05 PM] Footprints
   [show ends 9:21 PM; bows, then all off after a minute or two]

• Kenny Barron: piano;
• Jonathan Blake: drums;
• Stefon Harris: vibraphone;
• Kiyoshi Kitagawa: bass, contrabass;
• Elena Pinderhughes: flute, vox.

It's always fun when a show exceeds your expectations, and tonight was a great example. The band played with vim and fire, burning brightly on the hot bop tunes, and simmering smoothly on the two slower tunes. All of the players enjoyed noteworthy turns in the solo spotlight; Kenny's solo segment managed to join four tunes into an elegant piano medley. Elena Pinderhughes was particularly fine throughout the night, whether playing the head with Kenny and Stefon, or sharing her own spin on a solo break. Makes perfect sense to me that Kenny would draft her into his group of veterans!

I was a little surprised to realize that I recognized Phantoms – I didn't expect to know many tunes from tonight's setlist – but I suppose I've heard other bands playing it, or perhaps had enough time playing KCSM in the background that the tune has lodged in my memory banks.

Footprints was a fine choice to close the show, and hearing it done by this group was a real treat – deconstructed, reconstructed, and rearranged, but still easily recognizable and still fun to hear!

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!