Kenny Drew

Kenny Drew
Background information
Birth name	Kenneth Sidney Drew
Born	August 28, 1928(1928-08-28) New York City
Died	August 4, 1993(1993-08-04) (aged 64) Copenhagen
Genres	Post-bop, Hard bop, Mainstream jazz
Instruments	Piano
Labels	Blue Note Xanadu SteepleChase Riverside Verve Soul Note Storyville
Associated acts	Coleman Hawkins

Kenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew (August 28, 1928 – August 4, 1993) was an American jazz pianist.

Biography

Born in New York City, New York, he first recorded with Howard McGhee in 1949, and over the next two years recorded with Buddy DeFranco, Coleman Hawkins, Milt Jackson, Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, and Dinah Washington. He led many recording sessions throughout the 50s, and in 1957 appeared on John Coltrane's Blue Train.

Along with several other American jazz musicians who went to Europe, in 1961 he moved to Copenhagen, Denmark. While he sacrificed much of the interest of the American jazz audience, he gained a wide following across Europe. Kenny Drew was a well known figure on the Copenhagen jazz scene, recording many sessions with the Danish bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. "Living in Copenhagen, and travelling out from there, I have probably worked in more different contexts than if I had stayed in New York where I might have got musically locked in with a set-group of musicians. This way, I have been able to keep my musical antennas in shape, while at the same time I have had more time to study and also get deeper into my own endeavors."

Kenny Drew and Dexter Gordon appeared onscreen in Ole Ege's theatrically released hardcore pornographic film Pornografi - en musical (1971), for which they composed and performed the score.

On his passing in 1993, Kenny Drew was interred in the Assistens Cemetery in Nørrebro, Copenhagen.

His son Kenny Drew, Jr. is also a jazz pianist.

Discography

As leader

• 1953: New Faces, New Sounds
• 1954: The Ideation Of Kenny Drew (Norgran Records) with Eugene Wright, Lawrence Marable
• 1955: Talkin' and Walkin'
• 1956: The Kenny Drew Trio
• 1957: This Is New
• 1959: Pal Joey
• 1961: Undercurrent (Blue Note) with Freddie Hubbard, Hank Mobley, Sam Jones, Louis Hayes
• 1973: Duo (SteepleChase) with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
• 1974: Duo 2 (SteepleChase) with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
• 1974: Dark Beauty (SteepleChase) with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Tootie Heath
• 1975: Duo Live In Concert (SteepleChase) with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
• 1976: Morning
• 1978: Home Is Where the Soul Is
• 1978: For Sure!
• 1982: It Might As Well Be Spring (Soul Note)
• 1982: Your Soft Eyes (Soul Note) with Mads Vinding, Ed Thigpen
• 1983: And Far Away (Soul Note) with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Philip Catherine, Barry Altschul
• 1983: In Copenhagen (Storyville) with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Bo Stief
• 1986: By Request/By Request II (Baystate, now BMG Music Japan) with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Ed Thigpen
• 1989: Recollections (Timeless Records) with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Alvin Queen
• 1993: At the Brewhouse (Storyville) with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Alvin Queen
• 1996: Solo-Duo (Storyville) with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Bo Stief

As sideman

With Svend Asmussen

• Prize/Winners (1978)

With Tina Brooks

• Back to the Tracks (1960)
• The Waiting Game (1961)

With John Coltrane

• High Step (1956)
• Blue Train (1957)

With Kenny Dorham

• Show Boat (1960)
• Whistle Stop (1961)

With Dexter Gordon

• Daddy Plays the Horn (1955)
• Dexter Calling... (1961)
• One Flight Up (1964)

With Grant Green

• Sunday Mornin' (1961)

With Jackie McLean

• Jackie's Bag (1960)
• Bluesnik (1961)

With Ray Nance

• Huffin'n'Puffin' (1971)

With Chet Baker

• (Chet Baker Sings) It Could Happen to You (1958)

With Sonny Rollins

• Sonny Rollins with the Modern Jazz Quartet (1951)
• Tour de Force (1956)

With Ben Webster

• Stormy Weather (1970)

External links

• MusicWeb Encyclopaedia of Popular Music
• allmusic