In an interview, veteran pianist Kenny Barron shared some learnings and advice from the example of the giants of his youth following his recent awards.
The Jazz Journalists Association named Barron the Top Pianist of 2024, and he also received the Deutsche Jazz Prize in Germany last month.
Brian Delp, host of Drive Time on WBGO, congratulated Barron on his two new awards and for being recognized even after over six decades in the industry.
Barron said it was comforting to know that he still has some relevance.
In the last 18 months, he has only released two or three new albums. Delp asked about his previous album, 'The Source,' and why it took him 40 years to make a new recording alone.
He shared that it was because nobody asked. However, he admitted he was happy when Jean Philippe approached him to do the album.
The jazz pianist noted that doing solo recording always fills him with fear as it is one of the scariest environments for him.
His career has been filled with astounding musical moments. Over the last 60 years, he has been paired with the legends, including Stan Getz, Charlie Haden, Tommy Flanagan, and Regina Carter.
Barron currently teaches at the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra. Kiyoshi Kitagawa and Johnathan Blake are among the younger musicians he has worked with for years.
He claimed he loves playing with younger guys because it inspires him. "I mean, they push you. And I love that. I love what Johnathan does. He does some amazing stuff," he said.
Delp asked him about what he said many years ago on social media that too many younger musicians are playing from the head, not from the heart.
"Yes, I was surprised. I saw a bit of that and I thought about contributing to it, but, no, let it stand. It's something I said, and I agree with what I said, and especially in terms of writing in terms of composition, it's very heady. But that's the way they hear things, and there's an evolution and things evolve, but what I'm talking about is when a young musician says, "I want to compose," it's almost like instantaneously they say, "Well, how complicated can I make this?" That's what I'm talking about."
Furthermore, he said that young people wanted to play everything they knew all the time.
He shared that he learned to slow down and save himself when he started working with Dizzy in 1963. He realized he does not have to play everything and more stuff will come, so it reminds him to relax and take his time.
Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones, who greatly influenced him, told him stories. He said it taught him that it was not about playing fast.
