Cécile McLorin Salvant, Kurt Elling And More Join Kenny Barron On SONGBOOK

NEA Jazz Master and 14x GRAMMY nominee Kenny Barron will release Songbook, arriving November 14, 2025 on Artwork Records. This album represents the fulfillment of a decades-long dream for the 82-year-old piano master, showcasing 13 of his original compositions reimagined with lyrics by gifted songwriter Janice Jarrett and interpreted by an extraordinary ensemble of established and emerging vocalists.

Joined by his long-standing trio featuring Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums, Barron unveils a collection that seamlessly blends lyrical sophistication, harmonic depth, and rhythmic vitality. When asked why he decided to venture into this new direction at this point in his amazing career, the 82-year-old Barron laughs, "Because I'm getting old. It's something that I've always wanted to do. This project had been running through my head for more than three decades. So, I decided that this would be the perfect time."

The album features a remarkable cast of vocalists, including jazz luminaries Cécile McLorin Salvant, Kurt Elling, Ann Hampton Callaway, Catherine Russell, and Jean Baylor, alongside three exceptional emerging artists: Kavita Shah, Ekep Nkwelle, and label-mate Tyreek McDole.

Songbook marks Barron's first album to fully feature vocals. The project showcases the enduring resonance of his compositional catalog, with each song revealing new facets through Jarrett's evocative lyrics and the distinctive interpretations of each vocalist.

Salvant contributes her exploratory artistry to three tracks: the samba-powered "Thoughts and Dreams," the sashaying Afro-Cuban tinged "Sunshower," and the dreamy "Song for Abdullah." Elling brings his distinctive baritone to the sanguine ballad "In The Slow Lane" (composed for the unreleased film Another Harvest Moon), while Russell graces the swaggering "Minor Blues Redux" - the only track on the album not featuring Jarrett's lyrics, with Russell providing her own.

Callaway returns to collaborate with Barron (following her appearances on 2007's The Traveler), her soothing and smoky vocals caressing Jarrett's lyrics on the prancing "Cook's Bay" - a delightful piece Barron wrote to commemorate his 40th wedding anniversary with his wife, Joanne. Baylor commands attention with her gospel-inflected delivery on "Beyond This Place" and the jazz bossa nova "Until Then."

The album also highlights three rising stars who represent the future of jazz vocals. New York City-based Kavita Shah, fluent in music from Brazil, West Africa, and India, enchants on Barron's "Lullabye." Washington, D.C. native Ekep Nkwelle beautifies the pensive "Illusion" and "Sonia Braga," a tone poem paying homage to the legendary Brazilian actress. Florida-bred Tyreek McDole accentuates the bright, wordless Trinidadian-flavored melody on "Calypso" and the suspenseful "Marie Laveau," named after the famous New Orleans voodoo priestess.

Central to Songbook is Barron's collaboration with lyricist Janice Jarrett, whose words first appeared on his music for 2007's The Traveler. Their partnership began in the late 1960s when Jarrett worked as secretary for Barron's older brother, saxophonist Bill Barron, during his tenure directing a jazz workshop at the Children's Museum in Brooklyn.

"When I listen to Barron's music, I get visuals or moments from them, especially when I pay close attention to the melodies and song titles," Jarrett explains. "I had carte blanche in writing the lyrics because he trusted me."

Ann Hampton Callaway observes: "Kenny and Janice are both poets. A poet distills truths and makes them come alive in unexpected ways. They are a fine writing team because Kenny paints stories and Janice brings them alive with words that leave room for the imagination."

Songbook arrives during a particularly fruitful period for Barron, following his 14th GRAMMY nomination for 2024's Beyond This Place and the critical acclaim for 2023's The Source, his first solo piano recording in over four decades, both released via Artwork. With a solo career spanning more than half a century, Barron has established himself as one of the eminent masters of jazz piano currently at work and a thriving link to jazz's mid-century Golden Age.

From his collaborations with jazz aristocracy, including Dizzy Gillespie, James Moody, Stan Getz, and Yusef Lateef, to his role as educator and mentor to rising generations of musicians, Barron has demonstrated excellence in virtually every jazz format and idiom. His vast discography as both leader and sideman stands as testament to an artist who continues to evolve and inspire.

Songbook is both a showcase of Kenny Barron's artistry and his enduring compositional voice. The album highlights the pianist's knack for reinvigorating his material while featuring both established vocal masters and three promising emerging artists.

Songbook will be available on November 14, 2025 on Artwork Records.

Tracklist:

1. Beyond This Place (feat. Jean Baylor)
2. Until Then (feat. Jean Baylor)
3. Cook's Bay (feat. Ann Hampton Callaway)
4. Thoughts and Dreams (feat. Cécile McLorin Salvant)
5. Illusion (feat. Ekep Nkwelle)
6. Minor Blues Redux (feat. Catherine Russell)
7. In The Slow Lane (feat. Kurt Elling)
8. Sunshower (feat. Cécile McLorin Salvant)
9. Calypso (feat. Tyreek McDole)
10. Lullaby (feat. Kavita Shah)
11. Sonia Braga (feat. Ekep Nkwelle)
12. Marie Laveau (feat. Tyreek McDole)
13. Song for Abdullah (feat. Cécile McLorin Salvant)