Kenny Kersey

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Kenny Kersey performing at Cafe Society , New York , circa June 1947.
Photograph by William P. Gottlieb .
Kenny Kersey (in the background) with (from left) Ted Kelly, Benny Fonville, Scoville Brown and Buck Clayton performing at Café Society. Photo: Gottlieb (1947)

Kenneth Lyons "Kenny" Kersey , also Ken Kersey (born April 3, 1916 in Harrow , Ontario , † April 1, 1983 in New York City ) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer who lived most of his career in the United States.

biography

Kersey came from a musical family and first learned the piano from his mother. He studied piano and trumpet at the Detroit Institute of Musical Arts . In 1936 he moved to New York City , where he began as a trumpeter and then as a pianist with Lucky Millinder , Billy Hicks , Frankie Newton , Billie Holiday ("You're too Lovely to Last", 1939), Roy Eldridge , Red Allen , Frankie Newton and Cootie Williams worked. In 1942 he replaced Mary Lou Williams in Andy Kirk's band ; he recorded his composition "Boogie Woogie Cocktail", which was then also recorded by Red Allen. In 1941 he participated in the early bebop sessions of the musicians around Dizzy Gillespie and Don Byas .

After his military service, which he served in the Army from 1943 to 1945 and occasionally played in military bands, he toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic from 1946 to 1949 , where he had the opportunity in April 1946 with Charlie Parker , Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins to perform (" I Can't Get Started "). In the 1950s he worked again with Roy Eldridge and Red Allen, as well as with other musicians of swing and mainstream jazz , such as the Ruby Braff All Stars (1949 and on Hustlin 'and Bustlin' , 1954), Bud Freeman , Clyde Bernhardt (alias Ed Barron , 1953), Buck Clayton , Jonah Jones , Vic Dickenson , Edmond Hall , Jack Teagarden , Jimmy Hamilton ; Sol Yaged and Charlie Shavers . In the late 1950s he had to retire from the music business because of a bone disease. In the course of his career he had several opportunities to record under his own name, for example in 1946 with a trio for Savoy , on which bassist Billy Taylor also participated, for Clef in 1949, with bassist Benny Fonville and Buddy Rich ( JATP Boogie / Sweet Lorraine ) for Circle Records 1950 and finally 1951 for Foxy Records, which also included Hot Lips Page and Paul Quinichette .

Discographic notes

Lexigraphic entries

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See Bielefeld Catalog 1988.
  2. ↑ jazzdisco.org/verve-records/clef-records-catalog-the-jazz-scene-jatp-100-500
  3. ^ Bielefeld catalog, 2001.
  4. ↑ jazzdisco.org/savoy-records/discography 1946
  5. ↑ jazzdisco.org/verve-records/discography 1949
personal data
SURNAME Kersey, Kenny
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kersey, Ken; Kersey, Kenneth Lyons
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH April 3, 1916
PLACE OF BIRTH Harrow, Ontario
DATE OF DEATH April 1, 1983
Place of death New York City