Description
Recorded live at the Brecon Jazz Festival in August 1995, this powerful performance brings together three masters of modern jazz - pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Ray Drummond, and drummer Ben Riley - in a setting where intuition, swing, and deep musical empathy take center stage. Preserved for decades within the Jordi Sunol Archives and now finally released, this recording stands as a vital document of a trio whose chemistry was nothing short of extraordinary.
Across a generous programme of standards, originals, and compositions by Thelonious Monk, the trio demonstrates an effortless command of the jazz language. Barron's lyrical touch and harmonic sophistication are matched by Drummond's melodic bass lines and Riley's refined, responsive drumming - creating a dialogue that feels both spontaneous and deeply rooted in tradition. From exhilarating up-tempo moments to deeply expressive ballads, every performance unfolds with a sense of narrative and emotional clarity.
More than just a live recording, So Many Lovely Things offers a rare glimpse into the art of trio interplay at its highest level. The music breathes, stretches, and evolves in real time, revealing the kind of collective intuition that only years of collaboration can produce.
A long-lost treasure, now brought to light, this album is essential listening for jazz enthusiasts and a testament to the enduring brilliance of Kenny Barron and his collaborators.
Kenny Barron: piano
Ray Drummond: Bass
Ben Riley: drums
Recorded at the Brecon Jazz Festival, Christ College Auditorium, Brecon, Wales, August 12, 1995.
