Raymond Huston Kennedy Jr. (January 6, 1957 – May 28, 2015) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He was a member of John Pizzarelli's trio for more than a decade and recorded more than 10 albums under his own name.
Ray Kennedy | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Born | January 6, 1957 Maplewood, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | May 28, 2015 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, arranger |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Formerly of | John Pizzarelli |
| Website | raykennedy.com |
Life and career
editKennedy was born and grew up in Maplewood, Missouri, in 1957.[1] His father was a bandleader, trumpeter and vocalist in the 1930s and 1940s in St. Louis.[2] His mother worked in the Maplewood music store that his parents owned.[2] Kennedy had two siblings: Tom, who became a bassist; and Wanda, who also became a musician.[2] With his brother, he formed The Ray Kennedy Trio at the age of 13, and they played together, including with their sister as vocalist, for five years.[2] According to a biographer of Ruby Braff, Ray and his brother made a recording together in 1972.[3]
Kennedy moved to New York City in his early twenties.[2] He was pianist and arranger for the John Pizzarelli Trio for almost 13 years,[4][5] after joining in 1993.[6] With the John Pizzarelli Trio, Kennedy played with the New York Pops and Boston Pops orchestras, played for Broadway and off-Broadway productions, and toured internationally.[2] Kennedy first recorded with Pizzarelli in 1994, after making two recordings for Randy Sandke.[3] In 1997 he was part of the cast for the musical Dream.[7] In 2003 he recorded a piano duo album with Dick Hyman.[8]
Around 2005, Kennedy, according to John Pizzarelli, "began expressing a desire to get off the road and spend more time with his family".[5] Kennedy developed multiple sclerosis symptoms in 2006.[2] His career had ended by 2013, and he was living in a nursing home.[2] Kennedy died at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City, on May 28, 2015.[2] He was survived by his wife, Eve Langner, and two daughters, Lauren and Brielle.[2]
Playing style
edit"Kennedy was known for his finger technique and his ability to swing and improvise versions of well-known jazz works."[2]
Discography
editAn asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.
As leader/co-leader
edit| Year recorded | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| I'm Beginning to See the Light | Victoria | With Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, Martin Pizzarelli, Ray Brown (bass), Jeff Hamilton (drums) | |
| 2000* | The Sound of St. Louis | Victoria | |
| 2003 | What Is There to Say? | Victoria | Co-led with Dick Hyman; duo, with Hyman (piano) |
| 2005* | The Swing Kings | Victoria | Co-led with Bucky Pizzarelli; with Pizzarelli (guitar), Ken Peplowski (clarinet), Chuck Redd (vibraphone), Martin Pizzarelli (bass), Tony Tedesco (drums) |
| 2005 | Mozart in Jazz | Camerata | Trio, with Tom Kennedy (bass), Miles Vandiver (drums) |
| 2006 | Plays the Music of Arthur Schwartz | Arbors | Quartet, with Joe Cohn (guitar), Tom Kennedy (bass), Miles Vandiver (drums) |
| 2006 | Bach in Jazz | Camerata | Trio, with Tom Kennedy (bass), Miles Vandiver (drums) |
| 2007 | Soft Winds | Camerata | Trio, with Tom Kennedy (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) |
| 2007 | Baroque in Jazz | Camerata | Trio, with Tom Kennedy (bass), Miles Vandiver (drums) |
| 2008 | Classic in Jazz | Camerata | Trio, with Tom Kennedy (bass), Miles Vandiver (drums) |
| 2008 | Beethoven in Jazz | Camerata | Trio, with Tom Kennedy (bass), Miles Vandiver (drums) |
| 2009 | 癒しジャズ | Camerata | with Tom Kennedy (bass), Miles Vandiver (drums), Sumiko Fukatsu (flute), Howard Alden (guitar) |
As sideman
editReferences
edit- ^ "Ray Kennedy". npr. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Sorkin, Michael D. (June 3, 2015) "Ray Kennedy, Renowned Jazz Pianist from St. Louis, Dies at 58 from MS". stltoday.com
- ^ a b Hustad, Thomas P. (2012) Born to Play: The Ruby Braff Discography and Directory of Performances. Scarecrow. p. 604. ISBN 978-0-8108-8264-5.
- ^ "Pianist Ray Kennedy Dies at 58". (May 31, 2015) JazzTimes.
- ^ a b Pizzarelli & Cosgriff 2012, p. 202.
- ^ Pizzarelli & Cosgriff 2012, pp. 121–122, 194.
- ^ Evans, Greg (April 13, 1997) "Review: 'Dream'". Variety.
- ^ Dryden, Ken "Dick Hyman – What Is There to Say?". AllMusic. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
- Bibliography
- Pizzarelli, John; Cosgriff, Joseph (2012). World on a String: A Musical Memoir. John Wiley. ISBN 978-1-118-06297-5.