Kenny Kirkland


Kenneth David "Kenny" Kirkland was an American pianist/keyboardist.

Biography

Early life

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1955, Kirkland was 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.

Career

Kirkland's first professional work came with Polish fusion violinist Michal Urbaniak, touring throughout Europe with his group in 1977. Coincidentally, his 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 1980, while Kirkland was on tour in Japan with Terumasa Hino, he met Wynton Marsalis, which began their long association. On Marsalis's self-titled debut album, Kirkland shared the piano duties with one of his musical influences, Herbie Hancock, but was the sole pianist on Marsalis's subsequent releases Think of One, Hothouse Flowers and Black Codes. After his association with Wynton Marsalis, Kirkland joined Branford Marsalis's band. He is also on Marsalis's funk band album 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.
In 1991, he released his debut as a leader, Kenny Kirkland, on GRP Records. Thunder And Rainbows, by "Jazz from Keystone", is a trio album with Kirkland, Charles Fambrough, and Jeff "Tain" Watts.
Leading up to and on June 1–3, 1998, Kirkland worked with long-time associate Jeff "Tain" Watts on the drummer's debut recording Citizen Tain. According to producer Delfeayo Marsalis, "He was clearly not in good shape." When asked about going to the doctor, Kirkland responded, "After the session. If I go now, they'll make me check into a hospital." On June 4, doctors told Kirkland he had a congestive heart condition that required an operation. He attributed his poor health to twenty years of touring without adequate vacations and exercise, and deemed his chances of surviving any surgery 50/50 or less. Fearful of having a cardiac procedure, Kirkland accepted his fate and was soon on the road with Branford Marsalis again. On November 7, 1998, Kirkland attended Marsalis's wedding in New Rochelle, New York. Kirkland was found dead in his Queens apartment on Friday, November 13, 1998.
The official doctor's report listed his death as due to congestive heart failure. He was survived by his mother, a brother and two sisters.

Discography

As leader

With Stone Alliance
With Franco Ambrosetti
With Carla Bley
With Michael Brecker
With Chico Freeman
With Kenny Garrett
With Dizzy Gillespie
With Billy Hart
With Jay Hoggard
With Robert Hurst
With Elvin Jones
With David Liebman
With Wynton Marsalis
With Branford Marsalis
With Delfeayo Marsalis
With Lew Soloff
With Sting
With Miroslav Vitous
With Jeff "Tain" Watts
With John Scofield
With Arturo Sandoval
With Terence Blanchard
With Hiram Bullock