Kenny Drew Jr.
Kenny Drew, Jr. (born June 14, 1958), son of jazz pianist Kenny Drew, is an American jazz pianist. His music is known for its hard-swinging bluesy sound and large, two-handed rooty chords contrasting with fast runs. His style is said to be similar to that of his father and Oscar Peterson. [who?]
His initial study was in classical music with an aunt. 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. He has continued to perform jazz, but has also performed some chamber music. His style has some similarities to his father's, but is different enough to generally avoid comparison. He is considered the more eclectic of the two.
Kenny attended Iona College in New Rochelle, NY for a spell from 1977 to 1978. There, he became pianist for the Iona College Singers, an entertainment troop promoting the College's name and goodwill among local highschools, retirement homes and the like in the Northeast region of the USA.
Discography
- 1987 The Flame Within (Pony Canyon Records (Japan)
- 1989 Third Phase (Pony Canyon Records Japan)
- 1992 Kenny Drew, Jr. (Antilles)
- 1992 Look Inside (Verve)
- 1994 Maybeck Recital Hall Series, Vol. 39 [live] (Concord)
- 1994 Portraits of Mingus & Monk (Claves Jazz (Switzerland)
- 1998 Passionata (Arkadia Jazz)
- 1998 The Rainbow Connection (Evidence)
- 1998 Crystal River (TCB Records)
- 1998 Secrets (TCB Records)
- 1999 Winter Flower (Milestone Records)
- 1999 This One's for Bill (TCB Records)
- 2000 Follow the Spirit (Sirocco Jazz Ltd.)
- 2001 Remembrance (TCB Records)
- 2001 Autumn (Pony Canyon Records Japan)
- 2001 Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 99 (TCB Records)
- 2002 Another Point of View (Tokuma Records)