Bill McHenry and Ethan Iverson — 27 November 2026, Jamboree (Barcelona)

Jazz

The saxophonist and the pianist, who recorded “Live At Smalls” together in 2000, play two duo sets at the Barcelona Jazz Festival

Bill McHenry and Ethan Iverson recorded “Live At Smalls” together more than a quarter of a century ago, and on Friday 27 November they play two duo sets at the Jamboree as part of the Barcelona Jazz Festival.

Barcelona label Fresh Sound New Talent released that live album in 2000, by their quartet with Reid Anderson on bass and Jeff Williams on drums. That same year, Iverson and Anderson founded The Bad Plus with drummer Dave King. Iverson left in 2017.

Since then, Iverson has recorded “Temporary Kings” (ECM, 2018) as a duo with saxophonist Mark Turner, and two albums under his own name for Blue Note, “Every Note Is True” (2022) and “Technically Acceptable” (2024). Last year the festival brought him to the Conservatori del Liceu, in a duo with Turner. Josep Mestres (Jazzucrist), in his note for the show, describes both as “creators who naturally steer clear of the obvious solutions”.

Iverson has a second date at the festival. On Wednesday 2 December, at 8.30pm, he premieres the music the festival commissioned from him for its sixtieth anniversary, with the Liceu Big Band – founded and led by Sergi Vergés – and McHenry as musical director, at the Conservatori del Liceu. The commission grew out of a night last year when Iverson heard the band play Omar Sosa’s music. The festival’s listing doesn’t give a price for that concert.

Text by Aina Torrents