A pianist of seemingly infinite capacity and a Grammy-nominated.composer as well, an evening with Kenny is a lyrical (but never predictable) journey through the vast seas of improvised music. His longtime trio with Ari Hoenig and Johannes Weidenmueller is state of the art for the piano trio, and Kenny has also put together an exciting and moving duo tribute to his longtime employer Toots Thielemans with Toots’s heir apparent as the most creative harmonica player in Jazz, Gregoire Maret. Other duo partners of Kenny’s have included Dave Liebman, Chris Potter, Joe Lovano, and Dave Douglas.

 

In addition, Kenny’s writing for large ensembles is nothing short of brilliant. His masterwork No Beginning No End, a commissioned suite for Jazz soloists + a 36-piece wind ensemble that Kenny wrote in memory of his late daughter Katheryn, earned Kenny a Guggenheim fellowship and was released on the Half-Note label. Kenny followed that up with more great writing for his Half-Note CD Institute of Higher Learning, with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra. Kenny also arranged Toots’s favorite songs for the BJO and the Metropole Orchestra, for a Toots Centennial tour in Europe in Spring 2022.

 

In addition to his playing and composing, Kenny is also a teacher of profound insight, whose book Effortless Mastery changed Jazz Education forever and led to Berklee College of Music creating the Effortless Mastery Institute, with Kenny as Director. Now Kenny has written a sequel entitled Becoming the Instrument, which I think will be just as influential. Get in touch and let’s arrange a visit to your school.