Kenny Kirkland

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Kenny Kirkland


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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Kenneth David Kirkland
Born = birth date|1955|9|28
Died = death date and age|1998|11|12|1955|9|28
Origin = flagicon|USA Brooklyn, New York
Instrument = Keyboards
Genre = Jazz, Neo bop
Occupation = Musician
Years_active = 1974–1998
Label = A&M Records

Kenneth David “Kenny” Kirkland (September 28, 1955 in Newport, New York – November 12, 1998 in New York City, New York) was an American pianist/keyboardist. Considered by many to be one of the most important and influential pianists of his generation, he is most often associated with Sting, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, and Kenny Garrett.

Background

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1955, Kenneth David Kirkland was only six when he first sat down at a piano keyboard. After years of Catholic schooling, Kirkland enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied classical piano performance, classical theory and composition. His first professional work came with Polish fusion violinist Michal Urbaniak, touring throughout Europe with his group in 1977 and recording the albums "Urbaniak" and "Daybreak". Coincidentally, Kirkland’s next high-profile gig was with another Eastern European jazz émigré, Miroslav Vitous. Kirkland is featured on Vitous’ ECM recordings "First Meeting" and "Miroslav Vitous Group".

In his more than twenty-year career, Kirkland performed or recorded with such artists as Don Alias, Carla Bley, Terence Blanchard, Michael Brecker, Stanley Clarke, Urszula Dudziak, Kevin Eubanks, Charles Fambrough, Chico Freeman, Kenny Garrett, Dizzy Gillespie, Elvin Jones, Stanley Jordan, Rodney Jones, Arturo Sandoval, John Scofield, Tom Scott, Ernie Watts, Jeff “Tain” Watts and Mark Whitfield. Throughout his career, Kirkland also offered his talents to a variety of non-jazz artists, from soul singers Ben E. King and Angela Bofill, to Senegalese star Youssou N'Dour, to classic-rockers Stephen Stills and David Crosby.

New Directions

In the early 1980s, Kirkland was on tour in Japan with trumpeter Terumasa Hino, when he was said to have met Wynton Marsalis, which began their long association. On Marsalis’ self-titled debut album, Kirkland shared the piano duties with one of his musical influences, Herbie Hancock, but was the sole pianist on Marsalis’ subsequent releases "Think Of One", "Hothouse Flowers" and "Black Codes (From the Underground)". After his association with Wynton Marsalis, Kirkland joined Branford Marsalis’ band. He is featured on the albums "Royal Garden Blues", "Renaissance", "Random Abstract", "Crazy People Music", "I Heard You Twice The First Time" and the eponymously-titled album from Marsalis’ funk band Buckshot Lefonque. When Branford Marsalis assumed the high-visibility role of bandleader for NBC TV's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno", Kirkland became the band's pianist. But his time on the Los Angeles-based television show would be short-lived, and he returned to the East coast and session work.

As opposed to many piano “purists,” Kirkland was never shy of electric keyboards and synthesizers.

He also ran contrary to jazz orthodoxy when he left Wynton Marsalis’ acoustic traditional jazz combo to join Branford Marsalis accompanying ex-Police pop star Sting. Kirkland appears on Sting albums "The Dream of the Blue Turtles", "Bring On the Night" (and in Michael Apted’s 1985 documentary film by the same name), "...Nothing Like the Sun", "The Soul Cages" and "Mercury Falling".

olo

In 1991, he released his debut as a leader, "Kenny Kirkland", on GRP Records. An album on Sunnyside Records, "Thunder And Rainbows/J.F.K.", is also credited to him.

Death

Kirkland died of a heroin-induced heart attack in Queens, New York City on November 11, 1998. He is survived by his mother, a brother and two sisters.

Discography

As Leader

* 1991 "Kenny Kirkland"

With Wynton Marsalis

* 1981 "Wynton Marsalis"
* 1983 "Think of One"
* 1984 "Hot House Flowers"
* 1985 "Black Codes (From the Underground)"

With Branford Marsalis

* 1983 "Scenes in the City"
* 1986 "Renaissance"
* 1987 "Random Abstract"
* 1990 "Crazy People Music"
* 1992 "I Heard You Twice the First Time"
* 1999 "Requiem"

With Delfeayo Marsalis

* 1992 "Pontius Pilate's Decision"

With Jeff “Tain” Watts

* 1990 "Megawatts"
* 1999 "Citizen Tain"

With Robert Hurst

* 1994 "One for Namesake"

With Kenny Garrett

* 1997 "Songbook"1992 "Black Hope"

With Lew Soloff

* 1987 "But Beautiful"

With Sting

* 1985 "The Dream of the Blue Turtles"
* 1986 "Bring On The Night"
* 1987 "...Nothing Like The Sun"
* 1991 "The Soul Cages"
* 1996 "Mercury Falling"

With Carla Bley

*1984 Heavy Heart

External links

* [http://www.stonealliance.com/Kirkland/DailyTelegraph.htm Obituary reprinted from the Daily Telegraph]