Customer Reviews

Perfect Set: Live at Bradleys 2

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Recorded Live at Bradley's in April 1996, "The Perfect Set" continues the musical excellence displayed by the Kenny Barron Trio in the night's earlier set (released previously and available as "Live at Bradley's"). For the second set Kenny Barron was in a "Thelonious Monk" mood, playing two pieces (one solo) by Monk, as well as his own his personal tribute to Monk, entitled "The Only One". The opening selection, "You Don't Know What Love Is" is played with a bluesy feeling and the set is rounded out by Barron's reflective original "Twilight Song." Exploring Monk's music is a good thing of course, and Kenny Barron is a true master at it, but the emphasis on Monk results in a bit less musical variety than on the first "Live at Bradley's" CD.

However, one must always give full marks to Kenny Barron for he truly is one of the top pianists in jazz today. Not many can sustain the listener's interest in long tracks as he does. His piano lines consistently flow with unflagging invention. Kenny Barron's playing is like a bottomless well of musical ideas in which one always hears something new and interesting. His tasteful approach never exhausts the listener but always invites you to repeated listenings.

Bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Ben Riley support Barron masterfully and unobtrusively, and are always sharp in their own brief solos and exchanges with the pianist. "The Perfect Set" is a very enjoyable CD which is highly recommended along with the first CD from Bradley's.

"Live at Bradley's" is the better of the two Bradley's CDs. If anything, that one better deserved the "perfect set" designation. However,
there is an astonishing version of "Well You Needn't" on this CD that is way more than worth the price of admission. Don't miss it.