Kenny Barron Trio Unearthed: So Many Lovely Things: Live in Brecon Captures a Rare 1995 Concert in Full Flight

A remarkable previously unissued 1995 live recording of the Kenny Barron trio is set for release as So Many Lovely Things: Live in Brecon, a newly restored concert documenting Barron alongside bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Ben Riley at the height of their mid-1990s European run. Captured at the Brecon Jazz Festival in Wales and sourced from the Jordi Suñol Archives, the recording will be released on June 12, 2026 as a limited-edition 2-LP set, alongside 2-CD and digital formats.

Produced by Zev Feldman and Jordi Suñol under the Elemental Music banner, the release presents ten expansive performances recorded on August 12, 1995 at the Brycheiniog Theatre. Mixed and restored by Marc Doutrepont (EQuuS) with mastering by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, the 180-gram vinyl edition was pressed at GZ Media in the Czech Republic and features detailed liner notes and track commentary by jazz historian Ted Panken.

The concert captures Barron’s acclaimed 1990s trio in peak form—fluid, responsive, and deeply interactive. Across more than 100 minutes of music, the group moves effortlessly through swinging standards, ballads, and original compositions, defined by a shared sense of momentum and improvisational risk. Barron’s lyrical pianism is matched by Drummond’s warm harmonic grounding and Riley’s elegant, propulsive drumming, forming a unit widely regarded as one of the most intuitive piano trios of its era.

Recorded during a fertile European tour period, the performance reflects the trio’s philosophy of exploration in real time—stretching harmony, rhythm, and form while remaining tightly connected as a unit. From extended interpretations of repertoire such as “The Very Thought of You” and “Up Jumped Spring” to more rhythmically charged material like “Time Was” and “Shuffle Boil,” the trio consistently builds dynamic, evolving structures rather than fixed readings of the material.

The tapes themselves remained privately held for decades after being recorded by festival director Jed Williams, before resurfacing through promoter Jordi Suñol and eventually being brought to Elemental Music for official release, with full approval from Barron and his management.

So Many Lovely Things: Live in Brecon stands as both a historical document and a vivid reminder of the conversational depth of Barron’s trio work—music shaped by trust, time, and the unspoken logic of three musicians listening as one.