- Ken Bichel
Ken Bichel (b. 1945
Detroit ,Michigan ) is anEmmy Award andDrama Desk Award winning Americanactor ,composer ,pianist , andsynthesizer musician. Bichel attended theJuilliard School where he graduated with a Bachelors degree in piano performance in the late 1960s. Although Bichel is a classicaly trained pianist, he has spent most of his career playing and recording jazz, rock, and other forms of contemporary music on the piano and the synthesizer. Bichel became a member of the New York based band Stories is the early 1970s with whom he recorded several hit songs on three different albums until the band broke up in 1973. [ [http://elcamaleongalegobrasileiro.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html El Camaleon: mayo 2007 ] ] After leaving the band, Bichel began to play music for several Broadway shows. In 1975, Bichel was hired as the musical director for the show "Boccaccio". In 1977, Bichel took an onstage role (which also involved him playing the piano as well) as Norman in the original production of "I Love My Wife ". Bichel won theDrama Desk Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance. In 1978, he became the assistant conductor and pianist for the Broadway musical "Working". [ [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=89528 Internet Broadway Database: Kenneth Bichel Credits on Broadway ] ]During the 1970s, Bichel also worked as a synthesizer or piano player for various bands in the recording studio. His work can be heard on over a dozen CDs including the self titled and "Soul Searching" albums by
Average White Band on the Rhino label (1974 and 1976),Judy Collins ' "Judith" (1975) on the Elektra label, andChaka Khan 's "Chaka Khan Chaka" on the Ol' Skool Label (1978). Bichel also played for and made an on screen appearance as a synthesizer player in the 1977 movie "Pumping Iron ". [ [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0080957/#musicX20department Ken Bichel ] ] He can also be heard on numerousdisco albums from the 1970s. [ [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Ken+Bichel Ken Bichel ] ]In the 1990s, Bichel moved to San Marino, CA (where he still currently lives) and began playing music for films and television. Ocassionaly Bichel has also appeared on screen as a musician in films like "Kinsey", "
Marvin's Room ", and "A Family Thing ". Bichel has also won anEmmy Award for his music composition work on television and has kept his recording career active. [ [http://www.atencionsanmiguel.org/archives/colu_doug_2007_apr_06_eng.html April 06, 2007, There’s a hot new CD in town, By Guest Columnist Ken Bichel ] ] More recent projects include thePeanuts recording "Schroeder's Greatest Hits" (1992),Nikki Giovanni 's "Way I Feel" (1995),Judy Collins ' "Christmas At The Biltmore Estate" (1997),Gershon Kingsley 's "First Moog Quartet" (2003), and two albums withJane Olivor ; "Love Decides" (2000) and "Safe Return" (2004). [http://www.cduniverse.com/sresult.asp?HT_Search=xartist&HT_Search_Info=Bichel%2C+Ken&cart=702840191 (2004).]Throughout his career, Bichel has always loved to perform in live concert settings both as a solo artist, ensemble player, and accompianist. Recently Bichel has played in numerous cabaret performances with
Jane Olivor . [ [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/46759.html Playbill News: Jane Olivor Plays 'Summer Tuesday' at L.I.'s Bay Street, July 20; Prince Due Aug. 17 ] ]###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
title=Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
years=1976-1977
for "I Love My Wife "
before=George Rose
"'for "My Fair Lady "
after=Kevin Kline
for "On The Twentieth Century "Watch and Listen
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQibGSXvouw I Love My Wife excerpt]
References
External links
* [http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm0080957/ Internet Movie Database]
* [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=89528 Official Broadway Database]
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