The Hope College Great Performance Series will present jazz legend Kenny Barron with
his trio on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.
"The Los Angles Times" named Kenny Barron "one of the top jazz pianists in the world,"
and "Jazz Weekly" has called him "The most lyrical piano player of our time."
After performing with major players, including five years with Dizzy Gillespie, Barron
formed his own trio and has gathered nine Grammy nominations since 1992. He consistently
wins the jazz critics and readers polls, including in "Downbeat," "Jazz Times" and
"Jazziz" magazines. In 2005 he was inducted into the American Jazz Hall of Fame.
Barron was born in 1943 in Philadelphia, Pa. While a teenager, he started playing
professionally with Mel Melvin's orchestra. Following that Barron played in Dizzy
Gillespie's band as well as with Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson
and Buddy Rich.
In the late 1970s, Barron formed a trio with Buster Williams and Ben Riley. Throughout
the 1980s, he collaborated with tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, touring with his quartet
and recording albums including "Anniversary," "Serenity" and the Grammy-nominated
"People Time." Also during the 1980s, he co-founded the quartet "Sphere" with Buster
Williams, Ben Riley and Charlie Rouse.
Barron's recordings for Verve began earning him Grammy nominations beginning with
the Brazilian-influenced recording "Sambao" and most recently for "Freefall" in 2001.
He has been named Best Pianist by the Jazz Journalists Association every year for
the past four years and was a finalist in the prestigious 2001 Jazz Par International
Jazz Award.
Tickets are $18 for regular admission, $13 for senior citizens and $6 for children
18 and under, and are available at the ticket office in the main lobby of the DeVos
Fieldhouse. The ticket office is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called
at (616) 395-7890.
The DeVos Fieldhouse is located at 222 Fairbanks Ave., between Ninth and 11th streets.
Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located at 277 College Ave., on College Avenue at 12th
Street.
More information about the season may be obtained online by visiting https://hope.edu/gps/.