Kenny Drew Jr. (June 14, 1958 – August 3, 2014) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist. His music is known for its hard-swinging bluesy sound and large, two-handed rooty chords contrasting with fast runs. The son of jazz pianist

Kenny Drew Kenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew (August 28, 1928 – August 4, 1993) was an American-Danish jazz pianist. Biography Drew was born on August 28, 1928, in New York City, United States, and he received piano lessons from the age of five. Feather, ...

, he did not credit his father as an influence.Scott Yanow
Allmusic biography.
/ref> Tamarkin, Jeff (August 6, 2014)
"Pianist Kenny Drew Jr. Dies at 56"
''JazzTimes''.

Biography

His initial study was in classical music with his aunt and grandmother. In his teens he became interested in jazz and pop, but initially worked in funk bands. Later he went into jazz piano and in 1990 won The Great American Jazz Piano Competition in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

. Drew continued to perform jazz, but he also performed some chamber music. His style has some similarities to his father's, but is different enough to generally avoid comparison; he was considered the more eclectic of the two men. Drew attended Iona College in

New Rochelle New Rochelle ( ; in ) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately from Midtown Manhattan. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the 7th-largest city and 2 ...

, New York, for a period during 1977 to 1978. There, he became pianist for the Iona College Singers, an entertainment troop promoting the college's name and goodwill among local high schools, retirement homes and the like in the Northeast region of the US. Drew cited

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...

as an influence and like Monk often recorded (and performed) solo. Drew died at home in

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the List of municipalities in Florida, fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the sta ...

, on August 3, 2014.

Discography

As leader

Main source:

As sideman

* 1987: Charnett Moffett - ''The Net Man'' (

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by History of the Jews in Germany, German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it deriv ...

) * 1987: Charnett Moffett - ''Beauty Within'' (

) * 1993: Hal Melia - ''Waduyathink'' (Positive Music) * 1993:

Mingus Big Band Mingus Big Band is a 14-piece ensemble, based in New York City, that specializes in the compositions of Charles Mingus. It was managed by his widow, Sue Mingus, along with Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. In addition to its weekly Wednesday ni ...

- ''Mingus Big Band 93: Nostalgia in Times Square'' ( Dreyfus Records) * 1993: Carl Allen & Manhattan Projects - ''Echoes of our Heroes'' ( Evidence Music) * 1994:

Steve Slagle Steve Slagle (born September 18, 1951) is an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Slagle was born in Los Angeles and grew up in suburban Philadelphia. He received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music and received a master's degree in ...

- ''Reincarnation'' (

Steeplechase SteepleChase Records is a jazz record company and label based in Copenhagen, Denmark. SteepleChase was founded in 1972 by Nils Winther, who was a student at Copenhagen University at the time. He began recording concerts at Jazzhus Montmartre, ...

) * 1995:

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist and record producer. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note Reco ...

- ''

T Time ''T Time'' is an album by saxophonist Stanley Turrentine recorded in 1995 and released by the MusicMasters label.MusicMasters Records MusicMasters was a record label that was based in Ocean Township, New Jersey. History MusicMasters was founded in the late 1970s by Albert Nissim and his sons Robert and Jeffrey, who owned the Musical Heritage Society, which had previously on ...

) * 1995:

Michael Philip Mossman Michael Philip Mossman (born October 12, 1959) is an American jazz trumpeter. Career Mossman's early career included a tour of Europe with Anthony Braxton in 1978 and tours with Roscoe Mitchell in the early 1980s. He also did session work in the ...

- ''Spring Dance'' (Claves Jazz (Switzerland)) * 1995: John Tank - ''So In Love'' (TCB Records) * 1995: Daniel Schnyder - ''Nucleus'' ( Enja) * 1995:

Jack Walrath Jack Arthur Walrath (born May 5, 1946) is an American post-bop jazz trumpeter and musical arranger known for his work with Ray Charles, Gary Peacock, Charles Mingus, and Glenn Ferris, among others. Biography Walrath was born in Stuart, Florida. ...

- '' Journey, Man!'' ( Evidence Music) * 1995:

Ron McClure Ron McClure (born November 22, 1941) is an American jazz bassist. Early life McClure was born in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. He started on piano at age five, and later played accordion and bass. McClure studied privately with Joseph I ...

- ''Inner Account'' (

) * 1995:

- ''Gunslinging Bird'' ( Dreyfus Records) * 1996:

Nat Adderley Nathaniel Carlyle Adderley (November 25, 1931 – January 2, 2000) was an American jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It ...

Jeff Berlin Jeffrey Arthur Berlin (born January 17, 1953) is an American jazz rock bassist and composer. He first came to prominence in the 1970s as a member of the band Bruford, led by drummer Bill Bruford. Musical career Berlin was born on January 17, 195 ...

, and Kenny Drew Jr.: ''Monk in the Sun'' * 1996:

- ''Live in Time'' ( Dreyfus Records) * 1996: Jack Wilkins-Kenny Drew Jr. Quartet - ''Keep in Touch'' (Claves Jazz) * 1996:

Ronnie Cuber Ronald Edward Cuber (December 25, 1941 – October 7, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. He also played in Latin, pop, rock, and blues sessions. In addition to his primary instrument, baritone sax, he played tenor sax, soprano sax, clarinet, ...

- ''In a New York Minute'' (

) * 1997: George A. Johnson - '' Turqoise Connection'' (A Records / Challenge Records) * 1998: David "Bubba" Brooks - ''Smooth Sailing'' (TCB Records) * 1998: Warren Vaché - ''Plays Harry Warren: An Affair to Remember'' ( Zéphyr Records (Brussels)) * 1998:

- ''Spring Dance'' (TCB Records) * 2000: Daniel Schnyder - ''Words Within Music'' ( Enja) * 2000: Paul F. Kendall/ Bob Leto - ''Excursions'' ( Brownstone Recordings) * 2000:

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

- ''Nucleus'' ( Storyville) * 2000: Daniel Schnyder - ''An Evening at Sea'' ( Chiaroscuro Records) * 2001: Paul F. Kendall/ Bob Leto - ''Red Top'' ( Brownstone Recordings) * 2001:

Paquito D'Rivera Francisco de Jesús Rivera Figueras (born 4 June 1948), known as Paquito D'Rivera, is a Cuban-American alto saxophonist, clarinetist and composer. He was a member of the Cuban songo band Irakere and, since the 1980s, he has established him ...

- ''Excursions'' ( Enja) * 2002: Cody Moffett - ''My Favorite Things'' (TCB Records) * 2002: Daniel Schnyder - ''Songbook'' (CCn'C) * 2002: Butch Miles - ''Straight On Till Morning'' (Nagel Heyer Records) * 2003: Daniel Schnyder/Kenny Drew Jr. Quartet - ''Da Skale'' (TCB Records) * 2004: Richard Drexler - ''Señor Juan Brahms '' (Nicolosi Productions) * 2003: Martirio - ''Primavera en Nueva York '' (

Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...

) * 2009: Jeff Rupert – '' From Memphis to Mobile'' (Random Act) * 2010: Daniel Schnyder - ''Worlds Beyond Faust'' (Col Legno) * 2010: Thomas Dobler/Kenny Drew Jr "The Oasis and thé Mirage" . Piano/Vibes . * 2013: Naples Jazz Orchestra-On a Misty Night (Bob Stone) * 2017: Kevin Çelebi - ''Purge Corruption'' (Nikki & Heidi Records) (''posthumous release'')

References

External links

Verve Music Group discography of Kenny Drew, Jr.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drew, Kenny Jr. 1958 births 2014 deaths American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists Jazz musicians from New York City Verve Records artists Milestone Records artists Antilles Records artists 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians Mingus Big Band members