Joe Kennedy Jr.

Not to be confused with Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., older brother of U.S. President John F. Kennedy

Joe Kennedy, Jr. (1923 – April 17, 2004) was an American jazz violinist and educator. Kennedy was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He performed and recorded with pianist Ahmad Jamal and was director of jazz studies at Virginia Tech from 1984 to 1995. Kennedy performed with Benny Carter, Toots Thielemans, Billy Taylor, and the Modern Jazz Quartet and appeared at major international jazz festivals including the North Sea Jazz Festival and Monterey Jazz Festival.

Partial discography

As leader

• Strings by Candlelight (1962)
• Accentuate the Positive (1962)
• Falling in Love with Love (2002)

As sideman

With Ahmad Jamal

• Listen to the Ahmad Jamal Quintet (Argo, 1960)
• Big Byrd: The Essence Part 2 (Birdology, 1995)
• Ahmad Jamal a Paris (Birdology, 1996)

With John Lewis

• Kansas City Breaks (Finesse/Red Baron, 1982)

With Billy Taylor

• Where've You Been? (1989)

Sources

• "Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Living Legacy Jazz Awards". Retrieved 2006-06-04.
• "Joe Kennedy Jr". Retrieved 2016-06-02.