Kenny Barron launched his career with Mel Melvin's orchestra while still a teenager. At the age of 19 he moved to New York, putting his skills as an accompanist to work. From 1962 to 1966, he performed with Dizzy Gillespie's ensemble. A tireless collaborator, he also shone alongside Ron Carter, Yusef Lateef, Stan Getz... Barron's first disc as leader, Sunset to Dawn, was released in 1974. At that time, he began teaching at Rutgers University, where he would remain until 2000. During the 1980s, he was a founding member of Sphere, a quartet devoted to the music of Thelonius Monk. His rich discography includes, notably, Green Chimneys (1983), Wanton Spirit (1995) and Canta Brasil (2002).