Kenny Barron Songbook

Kenny Barron presents "Songbook" at Teatro Cervantes on Sunday 8 November 2026 at 20:00, as part of the 40th Málaga International Jazz Festival, with Ekep Nkwelle on vocals.

The jazz master, honoured with the NEA Jazz Master award — the highest honour the United States bestows on living jazz musicians — and a fourteen-time Grammy nominee, presents his new vocal collection: thirteen original compositions reimagined with lyrics by songwriter Janice Jarrett, combining lyrical sophistication, harmonic depth and rhythmic vitality. It's the culmination of a decades-long dream for the 82-year-old pianist: "Because I'm getting older. It's something I've always wanted to do. This project had been on my mind for more than three decades, so I decided this was the perfect time."

Widely considered the greatest jazz pianist still active, Kenny Barron (Philadelphia, 1943) has a style and career reminiscent of Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones: he has accompanied countless musicians and adapts to every context with impressive craft. A true stylist of bebop, he stands out for the taste with which he chooses his repertoire, the elegance of his playing and his ability to explore new rhythmic ideas without ever losing a deep sense of swing.

Kenny Barron (piano), Ekep Nkwelle (vocals), Russell Hall (double bass) and Jonathan Barber (drums).

Running time: 1 h 30 min, no interval.