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. He does not credit his father as an influence.^[1]

His initial study was in classical music with his mother and grandmother.^[2] 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.

Drew 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 high schools, retirement homes and the like in the Northeast region of the USA.

Discography[edit]

• 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 (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)
• 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)
• 2009 “From Memphis to Mobile” guest artist with Jeff Rupert (Random Act)
• 2011 Duality (Random Act)
• 2012 Coral Sea (Random Act)

External links[edit]

• Verve Music Group discography of Kenny Drew, Jr.
• Fanpage

Notes[edit]