Without Deception

Without Deception is a studio album by English jazz bassist Dave Holland, drummer Johnathan Blake, and pianist Kenny Barron. The album was released on March 6, 2020 (2020-03-06) by Dare2, Holland's own label.[11] The album was recorded in Mount Vernon, New York, and consists of 10 compositions, including the Thelonious Monk's rarity “Worry Later”.[4]

Without Deception
Studio album by
Dave Holland, Kenny Barron
ReleasedMarch 6, 2020 (2020-03-06)
Recorded17–18 August 2019
StudioOktaven Studios, Mount Vernon, NY
GenreJazz
Length65:32
LabelDare2 Records
ProducerDave Holland
Dave Holland chronology
Uncharted Territories
(2018)		 Without Deception
(2020)
Kenny Barron chronology
Concentric Circles
(2018)		 Without Deception
(2020)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz[1]
AllMusic[2]
DownBeat[3]
Financial Times[4]
The Guardian[5]
Jazz Journal[6]
Jazzwise[7]
The Scotsman[8]
The Times[9]
Tom HullA–[10]

Background

The collaboration between Kenny Barron and Dave Holland goes back some 35 years to the mid-1980s. In that time, Barron's trio created the album Scratch. Five years after their last collaboration (The Art of Conversation, Impulse!, 2014), Barron and Holland met again, this time for a trio session with drummer Johnathan Blake. He had previously worked with Barron on his trio album Book of Intuition (2016) and on the quintet album Concentric Circles (2018),[2] but had no playing experience with Holland.

The vinyl version of the album contains two bonus tracks: Johnathan Blake's "Can Tomorrow Be Brighter" and Kenny Wheeler's "Mabel".[1]

Reception

Chris Pearson of The Times commented, "It’s been five years since Kenny Barron and Dave Holland last recorded together, on the duo album The Art of Conversation. This time the pianist and bassist have added a drummer, Johnathan Blake, from Barron’s trio. The result is like a calmer version of the pianist’s last trio album, Book of Intuition, from 2016, with Holland’s English restraint tempering the forcefulness of the two Americans."[9] Writing for All About Jazz, Mike Jurkovic stated, "Now we have Without Deception, one of the truest album titles ever, with the kinetically effusive Johnathan Blake sitting in behind the skins, making Without Deception a vital amalgam of style and understanding. A virtual lesson we all need to learn is how three people can communicate without stepping on, cursing out, insulting, agitating, or p-ssing off either of the others at the table."[1]

A Dusty Groove's review stated, "Barron's at his roundest, most soulful sort of tone – really grabbing the notes out of the air in this wonderful way – and Holland really follows suit too, with this very personal, organic approach that's such a change from some of his more experimental work of years back – and which makes him a stunning part of the group, especially at all those many moments when he and Barron dance around each other's sound with this beautifully resonant vibe."[12] Mike Hobart of Financial Times added, "Barron’s multi-faceted approach was matched by Holland avoiding the obvious without losing sight of the tune, and Blake’s rhythms inspired rather than intruded. The result was a performance packed with detail and strong in narrative drive."[4] John Fordham writing for Jazzwise noted, "For fans of Kenny Barron, a master of the art of acoustic piano-trio jazz, Without Deception is often a captivating set—only a few more provocative surprises in the repertoire choices could have pushed it up another notch."[7]

Track listing
Without Deception track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Porto Alegri"Barron5:20
2."Second Thoughts"Mulgrew Miller5:51
3."Without Deception"Barron6:53
4."Until Then"Barron6:50
5."Speed Trap"Barron6:48
6."Secret Places"Sumi Tonooka6:58
7."Pass It On"Holland6:01
8."Warm Valley"Duke Ellington7:39
9."I Remember When"Holland8:27
10."Worry Later"Thelonious Monk5:03
Total length:65:32

Personnel

References
  1. JURKOVIC, MIKE (5 March 2020). "Kenny Barron / Dave Holland Trio featuring Johnathan Blake.: Without Deception album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  2. Collar, Matt. "Without Deception - Kenny Barron, Johnathan Blake, Dave Holland | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  3. Murph, John (April 2020). "Kenny Barron/Dave Holland Trio Featuring Johnathan Blake: Without Deception". DownBeat. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  4. Hobart, Mike (10 March 2020). "Dave Holland delivers piano trio classics with clarity and narrative punch". Financial Times. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  5. Gelly, Dave (21 March 2020). "Kenny Barron, Dave Holland, Johnathan Blake: Without Deception review – an outstanding trio". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  6. White, John (17 May 2020). "Kenny Barron, Dave Holland: Without Deception | Jazz Journal". Jazz Journal. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  7. Fordham, John (2020). "Review". Jazzwise. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  8. Gilchrist, Jim (24 March 2020). "Kenny Barron / Dave Holland Trio featuring Johnathan Blake (Without Deception)". The Scotsman. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  9. Pearson, Chris (6 March 2020). "Kenny Barron/Dave Holland Trio: Without Deception review — English restraint meets American forcefulness". The Times. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  10. "Tom Hull: Grade List: Kenny Barron". Tom Hull. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  11. "Without Deception - Kenny Barron, Johnathan Blake, Dave Holland | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  12. "Kenny Barron/Dave Holland Trio with Johnathan Blake : Without Deception (with bonus tracks) (LP, Vinyl record album)". Dusty Groove. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
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