A highly respected, immensely influential jazz pianist, Kenny Barron is a sophisticated improviser, composer, bandleader, and educator. Emerging during the hard bop era, Barron established himself early on as an in-demand sideman, working alongside his brother, saxophonist Bill Barron, as well as with such titans as Dizzy Gillespie, James Moody, Freddie Hubbard, Booker Ervin, and many others. Blessed with fluid technique and a nuanced sense for chord voicings, he is the epitome of the modern jazz pianist, at home in swinging straight-ahead dates and more forward-thinking settings. Since the '70s, he has also dedicated himself to passing along his knowledge, working as an instructor at the university level. Although often thought of as a journeyman with numerous session credits, Barron is a virtuoso performer with many well-regarded albums under his own name, including 1978's Innocence, 1995's Wanton Spirit, 2016's Grammy-nominated Book of Intuition, 2018's Concentric Circles, and 2020's Without Deception.