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 by Dare2, Holland's own label. The album was recorded in Mount Vernon, New York, and consists of 10 compositions, including the Thelonious Monk's rarity "Worry Later".

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), 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."

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." 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."

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." 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." 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."

Personnel

 * Dave Holland – bass
 * Johnathan Blake – drums
 * Kenny Barron – piano