The renaissance of the estimable Impulse! record label continues, with the legendary jazz pianist Kenny Barron returning to the recording studio for the first time since his excellent collaboration with Dave Holland back in 2014.  

Barron is joined by Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and the great Johnathan Blake on drums, the latter last seen on these shores with Dr. Lonnie Smith at Ronnie Scott’s. This trio has played together for many years now, but remarkably, it is the first time they have recorded a studio album.

There’s a hint of Bill Evans to Barron’s opening on Magic Dance, before the band kick in, and the Latin-style percussion takes the tune in the direction of Brazil. Barron takes an elegant, well-crafted solo, supported by some subtle fills by Blake. The only complaint is that Kitagawa’s bass is buried a little too low in the mix.

Bud Like first appeared on Barron’s album, At The Piano, back in 1982. There’s a hard bop feel to the track, as you would expect, which climaxes in some short but exciting solo work by Blake, who is as dynamic as always. Cook’s Bay is another original, which featured on Spirit Song on Verve Records in 2000. It’s a mid-paced tune, again featuring Latin-style percussion, and is reminiscent of sailing across the bay on a calm day, driven by the warm breeze.

In The Slow Lane is a new tune, opening with brushed drums, and built on a simple, but effective piano refrain by Barron. The subtle beauty of Kitagawa’s playing can be heard more clearly here, thankfully.

The album then goes into Monk territory, and one is reminded of the fact that Barron played with drummer Ben Riley for a number of years. Shuffle Boil is a little-known Monk tune that has been in Barron’s repertoire for some time. It originally appeared on a 1955 session led by saxophonist Gigi Gryce, and later on Monk’s Time in 1964 – suggesting that Riley may have introduced the tune to Barron. Kitagawa takes a solo here to good effect, before the band goes into a Monk ballad, Light Blue.

Lunacy picks up the pace once more, as the name suggests, before the pianist takes us back to his long spell with Stan Getz, playing Dreams – from the 1986 album by the saxophonist, Voyage.

The trio save the best for last, however, with an exquisite version of Charlie Haden’s Nightfall, which is a heartfelt tribute to the late bass player. Haden’s duo album with Barron, Night And The City, is one of the highlights in long discography of both musicians, and is well worth checking out.

As for the Book Of Intuition, it is lovely album, featuring many of Barron’s best compositions from over the years, and a couple of brand-new tunes, which hold up well. The album is perhaps short on surprises, but at the age of seventy-two, that’s hardly a shock. If you’ve read this far, you probably know what to expect from a Kenny Barron album – and you won’t be disappointed.