king ubu Posted December 20, 2008 Report Posted December 20, 2008 Friday, December 19, 2008 Detroit jazz composer and pianist Kenn Cox, 68, dies Ursula Watson / The Detroit News Jazz pianist Kenneth Louis Cox II died of lung cancer on Friday. He was 68. Cox died at his Detroit home, said his wife of 42 years, Barbara Cox. He was known by some as Kenny, though he preferred Kenn. The Detroit native was a graduate of Cass Technical High School. He went on to study at the Detroit Conservatory of Music and the Detroit Institute of Musical Arts. Cox was not only a skilled pianist but also played bass, bassoon and trumpet. Through the years, he played with trombonist George Bohannon's quintet and guitarist Wes Montgomery. He was a regular at Detroit's legendary jazz-spot Baker's Keyboard. His albums, such as "Introducing Kenny Cox and the Contemporary Jazz Quintet" and "Multidirection," were reissued on the Blue Note label. Cox is survived by his wife Barbara, son Philip Cox and a stepdaughter, Angela Washington. Services will be held on Dec. 27 at St. Matthew's & St. Joseph's Episcopal Church, 8850 Woodward Ave., Detroit. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Societé of the Culturally Concerned, 8285 Morrow Circle, Detroit MI 48204; (313) 834-6511. source: http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A...ENT04/812190462 Quote
sheldonm Posted December 20, 2008 Report Posted December 20, 2008 ...damn man, the hits keep on coming......RIP Quote
king ubu Posted December 20, 2008 Author Report Posted December 20, 2008 I played his BN Conn again yesterday and this time I really liked it very much. The feel of the band is similar to Miles' second quintet, that lyrical open kind of music with an inherent drive... and Henderson's brother is great on tenor (so is the trumpet player, one Charles Moore). In addition to Miles there's some grooves that remind me of the Jazz Crusaders, and a couple of very good tunes, too. I was hesitatingly commenting about the disc in the BN deletions thread, but now on repeated listening, I think this is a very good disc! Quote
ValerieB Posted December 20, 2008 Report Posted December 20, 2008 very sad. such a great guy. he and i and a mutual musician friend tried to get together just a few months ago before he returned home from his regular summer gig teaching at Cal Arts. he will be missed by many. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted December 20, 2008 Report Posted December 20, 2008 RIP Kenny. He was a gentlemen. I took a few lessons with him at MSU. He was very accepting of the fact that I didn't want to play piano, but organ (unlike the rest of the jazz program there at the time). I'll never forget; one day he gave me a chart with nothing but II-V-I's on it in different keys and said "Learn this and you'll be fine." Most of the time we just talked about life, not really about music. He was a sweetheart. Quote
Peter Friedman Posted December 20, 2008 Report Posted December 20, 2008 I recall seeing Kenny Cox play a number of times back in the mid '60's when I was living in Detroit. Am sorry to hear that he is no longer with us. R.I.P. Quote
JSngry Posted December 20, 2008 Report Posted December 20, 2008 (edited) Most of the time we just talked about life, not really about music. You just thought you weren't talking about music... RIP. I was just talking in another thread about the importance/end of the neighborhood aspect of jazz, and here this comes. Jim, you were blessed to have had the experience. Edited December 20, 2008 by JSngry Quote
sidewinder Posted December 20, 2008 Report Posted December 20, 2008 Sorry to hear this - really like his Blue Note LPs, they have class. RIP. Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted December 21, 2008 Report Posted December 21, 2008 I've always loved his two BN dates -- and was thrilled when they came out on CD (something I wasn't sure we'd ever see). Did he ever have any other leader dates?? I'm pretty sure he's on Phil Ranelin's 2nd 'Tribe' leader date, but that's the only thing I thing I've ever seen him on as a sideman. Anything else of note?? Sorry to hear of his passing. Quote
blajay Posted December 21, 2008 Report Posted December 21, 2008 Very sorry to hear this. I just ordered "Introducing," the Conn that is going out of print. Quote
AndrewHill Posted December 21, 2008 Report Posted December 21, 2008 ...damn man, the hits keep on coming......RIP No kidding. I just added his BN Conn to my wish list last week too. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted December 21, 2008 Report Posted December 21, 2008 Most of the time we just talked about life, not really about music. You just thought you weren't talking about music... RIP. I was just talking in another thread about the importance/end of the neighborhood aspect of jazz, and here this comes. Jim, you were blessed to have had the experience. Indeed. He was a real gentleman. Another memory is after one of our lessons, we were talking outside as he was going to his car and the subject turned to my parents. I told him of my mom's passing, which had happened only a few months before. He became very reflective and offered some great words of comfort to me. I only saw him once in the last 10 years after those lessons. He remembered me and we had another good talk. RIP Quote
king ubu Posted December 21, 2008 Author Report Posted December 21, 2008 (edited) I've always loved his two BN dates -- and was thrilled when they came out on CD (something I wasn't sure we'd ever see). Did he ever have any other leader dates?? I'm pretty sure he's on Phil Ranelin's 2nd 'Tribe' leader date, but that's the only thing I thing I've ever seen him on as a sideman. Anything else of note?? Sorry to hear of his passing. leader: Introducing Kenny Cox and the Contemporary Jazz Quintet (Blue Note BST 84302, rec. 1968-12-09) Multidirection (Blue Note BST 84339, rec. 1969-11-26) Location (Strata 1001-73, rec. 1970-73 w/CJQ with slightly chaning line-ups) sideman: Etta Jones - Love Shout (Prestige PR 7272, rec. 1963-02-04 & 1963-02-12 w/Larry Young and Kenny Burrell a.o.) Bert Myrick - Live'n Well (Strata East 102-74, rec. 1965-04-04 w/George Bohannon, Ronnie Fields, Bill Austin) A Cass-Tech Reunion: The Montreux/Detroit Collection Vol. 1: Late Modelbop (Montreux Detroit 40709X MDR 841, rec. 1982-09-06 - one track only, w/Belgrave, Shahid a.o.) Sam Sanders - The Gift of Love (That African Lady TAL-935, rec. 1983) The Montreux/Detroit Collection Vol. 3: Motor City Modernists (Montreux Detroit 407051X MDR 843, rec. 1983-09-03 - one track only, with slightly different CJQ line-up) Francisco Mora - Mora (AACE 87-001, rec. 1987) Donald Walden (Jazzworks JW KS001, rec. 1996-97 - one track only, with Belgrave, Cleaver a.o.) Francisco Mora - World Trade Music (Community Projects CMP00001, rec. 1999 - with Belgrave, Harding, Taborn a.o.) no Ranelin in Lord... Edited December 24, 2008 by king ubu Quote
CJ Shearn Posted December 21, 2008 Report Posted December 21, 2008 added the "Introducing" to my wish list as well!. What sorta tone did Leon Henderson have, was it a lot like Joe's? Quote
king ubu Posted December 21, 2008 Author Report Posted December 21, 2008 I'd say somewhat like Joe's... also maybe some influence from Wayne Shorter's earlier recordings (lyrical part of Shorter, not the harder, edgier one). Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted December 21, 2008 Report Posted December 21, 2008 I'm pretty sure he's on Phil Ranelin's 2nd 'Tribe' leader date, but that's the only thing I thing I've ever seen him on as a sideman. no Ranelin in Lord... Just checked to be sure -- the 2001 CD reissue of "Vibes from the Tribe" does list Kenny Cox on the title track, on electric piano. (That's the only track he's listed on.) Quote
Niko Posted December 22, 2008 Report Posted December 22, 2008 he's also on some tracks of james carter's "at baker's keyboard lounge" rip Quote
king ubu Posted December 23, 2008 Author Report Posted December 23, 2008 he's also on some tracks of james carter's "at baker's keyboard lounge" rip didn't remember that... what a weak disc, anyway... Quote
Mark Stryker Posted December 23, 2008 Report Posted December 23, 2008 (edited) I was on vacation last week when this awful news came down and wasn't able to write for the paper until today. Here's a link to an obituary/remembrance. I loved Kenn. We first met, by the way, years before I moved to Detroit. My wife and I had driven from South Bend to Chicago in 1993 to hear Jackie McLean live for the first time in Chicago at the Showcase -- it was his first gig in the midwest in forever. We arrived way early because I was so jazzed, but we were second in line. Kenn was first. http://www.freep.com/article/20081223/ENT04/81223006 Edited December 23, 2008 by Mark Stryker Quote
clifford_thornton Posted December 23, 2008 Report Posted December 23, 2008 Location was on Strata, not Strata-East. Would love to check that out. Quote
Guest youmustbe Posted December 23, 2008 Report Posted December 23, 2008 My memory might be off, but seem to remember him playing with Danny Spencer and Dave Holland at this steakhouse on East 44th Street in the 70's. It was called the Stagecoach and had an actuall stagecoach that you could get driven around. Quote
randissimo Posted December 24, 2008 Report Posted December 24, 2008 Kenny Cox was one of Detroit's jazz piano legends.. Drummer Danny Spencer was a member of CJQ and gave me the album Multi-Directions which I still have.. Great music! Never got a chance to work with Kenny but heard him several times. Quote
king ubu Posted December 24, 2008 Author Report Posted December 24, 2008 Location was on Strata, not Strata-East. Would love to check that out. sorry, my typo - fixed above. no relation to Strata East, then? Quote
david weiss Posted December 24, 2008 Report Posted December 24, 2008 Location was on Strata, not Strata-East. Would love to check that out. sorry, my typo - fixed above. no relation to Strata East, then? Don't know the exact details but it was to be a partnership of sorts. Strata was first and Strata East was to be the East Coast leg of the organization. It never panned out though they kept the Strata-East name. The Detroit folks would know better than me but Cox and company apparently put on a lot of concerts, bringing out all the heavyweights from New York in the late '60s early '70s. I believe Tolliver and Music Inc performed there and that was the start of this. A shame about Kenny. I spoke to him a few times and he was a really sweet and helpful guy. The band of course was incredible but we've talked about this before I believe...... I have the Strata LP of the group, looser and more electric than the Blue Notes.... Quote
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