Jonathan Barber Quartet live streaming from Small's - April 15

(Screenshot by Russell)

Andrew Renfroe (guitar); Taber Gable (piano); Matt Dwonszyk (double bass); Jonathan Barber (drums)

Here at Small's the on-stage quartet represented four fifths of drummer Jonathan Barber's Vision Ahead band (alto saxophonist Godwin Louis is currently somewhere in Africa). Two numbers in, Barber spoke, it was worth the wait, our bandleader more than eloquent. Barber's band is ten years in the making, Small's something like a second home, this is where the band gigged in its formative years.    

Only just into his thirties, Barber has released three albums, all with the same line-up. Here at Small's we heard cuts from the back catalogue. In the absence of alto saxophonist Louis, guitarist Andrew Renfroe came to the fore, Metheny perhaps an influence. Barber's razor-sharp, propulsive drumming steered the quartet through the material which included Only Think on These Things from the debut album Vision Ahead and 29 from Live at Jazz Standard. Barber has worked with Pat Metheny, Vision Ahead is a stable working unit, it'll be interesting to see where the Hartford, Connecticut native, now resident in NYC, goes from here.  Russell