What holds Songbook together is Barron’s instinct as a collaborator. He listens, adapts, and gives each singer space to shape his melodies.
Artwork Records
Kenny Barron – piano; Kiyoshi Kitagawa – bass; Johnathan Blake – drums; VOCALISTS: Jean Baylor, Ann Hampton Callaway, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Catherine Russell, Kurt Elling, Ekep Nkwelle, Tyreek McDole, Kavita Shah
For decades, Kenny Barron’s compositions have lived as instrumental pieces—melodic, singable, but wordless. Songbook finally gives some of them lyrics, and the surprise isn’t that they work with vocals, but that they feel like they’ve been waiting for them all along. Songbook gathers thirteen of his compositions, with added lyrics by Janice Jarrett, and hands them to eight different singers—legends, emerging voices, and personalities who highlight different facets of Barron’s writing. What’s striking is how naturally he matches each vocalist’s phrasing and feel.
Jean Baylor sets the tone on “Beyond This Place,” her light, upper-register sound floating over the slow groove. There’s a hint of gospel in her delivery, and Barron answers with a simple, lyrical solo that carries the same church-like warmth. She returns on “Until Then,” this time without the gospel touch, swinging at a relaxed mid-tempo pace, and ends with a half-sung, half-hummed flourish that feels like she’s stepping out of the tune with a smile on her face.
Ann Hampton Callaway brings a smoky, unhurried confidence to “Cook’s Bay.” Her phrasing has a little Morgana King in it, and Barron mirrors her lines, the two of them sounding like they’re out on a leisurely stroll down the boulevard together.
Cécile McLorin Salvant appears on three tracks, each with its own personality. “Thoughts and Dreams” has a lively spark, helped by Jonathan Blake’s sharp, upfront drums, and Barron keeps his lines lean and focused in response. “Sunshower” leans into a soft Afro-Cuban groove, while “Song for Abdullah” floats along in a gentler, more open atmosphere.
Catherine Russell shows up once on the mid-tempo “Minor Blues Redux.” It’s the only tune without Jarrett’s lyrics—Russell wrote her own—and her bright, easy delivery rides over Kiyoshi Kitagawa’s bluesy walking bass. It ends up being one of the album’s more upbeat moments.
Ekep Nkwelle brings a fragile, low-hued ache to “Illusion,” her phrasing leaning just behind the beat and almost melting into the bass line. Tyreek McDole goes percussive on “Calypso” with wordless bursts, then softens for the slow, steady “Marie Laveau.” Kavita Shah offers a clear, unadorned sound on “Lullaby,” perfectly aligned with Barron’s quiet, tentative piano introduction.
What holds Songbook together is Barron’s instinct as a collaborator. He listens, adapts, and gives each singer space to shape his melodies. At 82, this album fulfills a decades-long dream, finally bringing these songs to life through voices he’s long envisioned.
