"Kenny Werner is a clear virtuoso...he has miraculous rhythm"
--New York Times
Pianist, composer and arranger, Kenny Werner, was born in 1951 in
Brooklyn, NY. As young as age eleven he was recording and making
television appearances. He began his college career at the Manhattan
School of Music as a concert piano major but completed his degree in
jazz at the Berklee School of Music.
Werner has recorded more than 24 albums as a leader. He has played,
toured or recorded with Archie Shepp, Rufus Reid, Ray Drummond,
Eddie Gomez, David Sanchez, Tom Harrell, John Scofield, Dave
Douglas, Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, Chris Potter, Toots Thielemans,
Marian McPartland, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Elvin Jones, Lou
Rawls, Betty Buckley, the Mel Lewis Orchestra and many others.
He earned a Grammy nomination for a composition on his duo album
with Toots Thieleman, has received two performance grants from the
National Endowment for the Arts, won the distinguished Composer
award from the New Jersey Council for the Arts and was commissioned
to compose and conduct a memorial piece for Duke Ellington performed
at New York’s St. John the Devine.
In 1996, Kenny published a book that has had a major impact on the
music world titled Effortless Mastery. It features priceless
information about the physical, technical, psychological and
spiritual aspects of being an artist. As a result he is in great
demand as a teacher and clinician at Universities worldwide. He is
currently an artist in residence at New York University and Berklee
College of Music. "Werner has become one of our most literate and
visceral pianists." --JazzTimes
Live at the 2002 Litchfield Jazz Festival
Photo:
Stuart Feldman
The Kenny Werner Trio is Kenny Werner on piano, Litchfield Jazz Camp
alumnusRichie Barshay on drums and
Jorge Roeder on bass. Visit Kenny
Werner’s website:
www.kennywerner.com.