Spotlight On: Kenny Barron

Air Date: 8/16/2026 on 90.5 WICN 9am-12pm ET

He's been around a long time, and he has played with everybody! Well, not really everybody, but you know what I mean. 

Look below at some of the recordings that you'll hear, where Kenny Barron is a sideman: Cheryl Bentyne (of the Manhattan Transfer), George Benson, Stan Getz, Russell Malone, Jane Monheit, Jeannie Bryson. The Benson project goes back a bit, to 1974 (our remastered version sounds like it was recorded yesterday).

Of course, there are plenty of projects with Mr. Barron as the lead. His latest release, Songbook, features a number of vocalists who have applied lyrics to some of the pianist's original compositions. Check out the New for You hour and you'll see vocalists like Ann Hampton Callaway and Ekep Nkwelle.

One of my favorite Kenny Barron CDs is Sambao, released in 1992. It contains eight original songs. We'll hear several tracks from this excellent CD.

It has been great fun putting this show together, giving me a chance to listen to a few tracks I may have not heard before. And in the case of Mr. Barron as a sideman, it has me focusing on the piano as well as the vocalist, the guitarist, or whoever is the lead on the date.

I hope you enjoy this spotlight show exploring the catalog of Kenny Barron.

Best,

Marty

Photo: "Kenny Barron" by Luigi Rosa is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning

  • 🎹 Kenny Barron-Songbook 2026-13 Song for Abdullah (Ibrahim - Dollar Brand) feat Cecil Mclorin Salvant
  • 🎹 Kenny Barron-Wanton Spirit-02 Sail Away 1994
  • 🎹 Cheryl Bentyne-Talk of the Town-03 Little Butterfly 2004 feat K Barron
  • Salvatore Bonafede-Journey to Donnafugata-12 Valzer del Commiato 2005
  • 🎹 Jane Monheit-Come Dream With Me-03 Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most 2001 feat Kenny Barron
  • 🎹 Kenny Barron\Sambao\Gardenia
  • Jamile with Miki Yamanaka\Pursuit of a Pulse 2025- Come With Me to the River
  • 🎹 Russell Malone-Sweet Georgia Peach-07 Song for Darius 1998 feat Kenny Barron
  • 🎹 Kenny Barron-Canta Brasil-04 Until Then 2002
  • Shirley Horn-Here's To Life-05 Where Do You Start 1992

HOUR TWO: New For You

  • 🎹 Kenny Barron-Songbook 2026-03 Cook’s Bay feat. Ann Hampton Callaway
  • 🎹 Kenny Barron-Other Places-08 Nikara's Song 1993
  • Hendrik Meurkens\Samba Tonto 2026\Chelsea Nocturne
  • 🎹 Kenny Barron-Songbook 2026-11 Sonia Braga feat Ekep Nkwelle v.
  • 🎹 Kenny Barron-Sambao-01 Sambao 2008
  • Nicole Zuraitis\The Devil I Knew 2026\All That's Left
  • Antonio Adolfo-Tema-10 Variations on a Tema Triste 2015
  • 🎹 George Benson-Bad Benson-06 The Changing World 1974 feat Kenny Barron
  • 🎹 Kenny Barron & Dave Holland-The Art Of Conversation-05 Waltz For Wheeler 2014
  • 🎹 Jeannie Bryson-I Love Being Here With You-03 Bitter Sweet 1993 feat Kenny Barron
  • Andy Narell-The Long Time Band-02 Jenny's Room 1995

HOUR THREE: Brazil/World/Groove

  • Cheryl Bentyne-Talk of the Town-09 Girl Talk 2004 
  • 🎹 Kenny Barron-Sambao-02 Yalele 2008
  • Lindsey Webster-Music In Me 2026-10 Cali
  • 🎹 Stan Getz-People Time (Disc 2) 1991-04 People Time feat Kenny Barron
  • 🎹 George Benson-Bad Benson-07 Take The ''A'' Train (new mix) 1974 feat Kenny Barron
  • 🎹 Russell Malone-Heartstrings-01 Heartstrings 2001 feat Kenny Barron
  • Chris Standring\Real Life 2020\What Goes Around
  • Chuck Loeb-Presence-03 Window of the Soul 2007
  • Lindsey Webster-Music In Me 2026-02 Time On You
  • Roberto Menescal-Nosd Eo Mar 2023-04 Bye Bye Brasil
  • Larry Carlton-Deep Into It-04 I Still Believe 2001
  • Lee Ritenour-A Twist of Rit-06 Pearl 2015

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