Kenny Graham

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Kenny Graham (born July 19, 1924 in London as Kenneth Thomas Skingle ; † February 17, 1997 ibid) was a British jazz musician ( saxophone , clarinet , flute , arrangement ) and composer who was one of the pioneers of modern jazz in the British Isles , dealt with Afro-Cuban rhythms early on and sometimes wrote in forms similar to Duke Ellington .

Live and act

Graham first played the banjo as a child , then focused on the C melody saxophone and alto saxophone before switching to the tenor saxophone . He studied civil engineering before joining Reub's Sunshine Band . In 1942 he worked in Billy Smith's band and then worked under the pseudonym "Tex Kershaw" at Johnny Claes , in order to (in vain) avoid compulsory military service. After four years in the army, he was part of the groups of Jiver Hutchinson , Ken Turner (1946), Nat Temple (1947), Roy Dexter, the Feldman Club Band (1947), Fred Stanley and Nat Gonella (1948). Stations with Ronnie Pleydell, Russ Allen, Victor Feldman (1949), Roy Bradley and Harry Klein (1950) followed. In April 1950 he founded his Afro-Cubists , with whom he also toured and made several acclaimed recordings. Despite artistic success, the band was initially not economically viable. Therefore he was in other bands, including (on the baritone saxophone ) with Jack Parnell ; he also arranged for Ted Heath and for Humphrey Lyttelton . Due to illness he could no longer perform from 1958; he increasingly composed pieces for Lyttelton such as One Day I Met an African , Adagio For David or Ladyless and Lachrymose . He has also led recording sessions for Big Bill Broonzy and Josh White . In the 1960s he also began to work as a film composer ; some of his works were later used in the television series SpongeBob SquarePants . On behalf of the BBC , he wrote the orchestral suite The Labors of Heracles . Then he withdrew completely from music.

Discographic notes

  • Moondog and Suncat Suites (1956)
  • Presenting Kenny Graham (1957)

Lexical entries

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Graham, Kenny
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Skingle, Kenneth Thomas (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH July 19, 1924
PLACE OF BIRTH London
DATE OF DEATH February 17, 1997
Place of death London