INTERVIEW. Kenny Barron at the Grands Interprètes in Toulouse: “Dizzy Gillespie hired me without having heard me play”

You have carte blanche to perform on November 18 as part of the Grands Interprètes de Toulouse. What are you going to play?

We will play a selection of Music from our latest album “Beyond This Place”. I also like to play a Monk piece and we’ll probably include a solo piano medley.

Last summer, at the Jazz in Marciac festival, the audience was seduced by your swing… Is it a style or a state of mind?

Swing is a style of jazz defined by the approach to rhythm. Of course, like any jazz musician, my own experience and thoughts are reflected in the way I interpret the rhythm.

What memories do you have of your early days with Dizzy Gillespie?

I had just moved to New York and was living around the corner from a club called The Five Spot. I went to see James Moody who knew my brother Bill who was a saxophonist and I was able to give it a try. Moody hired me on the spot and I played with him for a while. Soon after, Dizzy put together a quintet that included Moody and, at the time, his pianist who was Lalo Schfrin. Later I ran into Moody on the street and he told me Lalo was leaving the band and asked if I was interested. I had just gotten married and wasn’t working at the time. So I went to Birdland, a famous jazz club in New York, and I talked to Dizzy, he hired me without ever having heard me play a single note. He based it entirely on Moody’s recommendation. I stayed in the band for four years and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned to use space and build a solo instead of playing everything at once. A solo must have relief, ups and downs. I also learned how to relate to others, how to be a conductor, especially through observation. He was very respectful of his musicians, very fair. He had his demands: be on time, do his work.

How did you get through 60 years of career at the highest level?

I think it’s important to play. You can’t just study. You have to play in front of people, you have to play with people who are better than you. I have always tried to improve myself by surrounding myself with musicians who push me to make an effort, regardless of their age. I like playing with younger musicians who can challenge me, like Johnathan Blake, Savannah Harris, Endea Owens, and of course, working helps too.

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What do you like to play today?

Jazz in all its forms.

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What are your projects?

I have just had several of my compositions for strings arranged and presented at Berklee College of Music. We were able to perform in Europe and I’m looking forward to more shows.