Kenny Drew Jr.

[HolgerFreimutSchrick]

Philip Booth posted on twitter that Kenny Drew Jr has died on 4 August 2014, though yet unconfirmed.

http://betweenthegrooves.wordpress.com/2014/08/04/r-i-p-kenny-drew-jr/

[Fer Urbina]

It's been confirmed by Scott Elias of Random Act Records.

Fellow pianist George Colligan has written this very insightful blog in his memory.

F

[Cyril]

He was only 56 years old. R.I.P.

http://jazztruth.blogspot.se/2014/08/rip-kenny-drew-jr.html

[mikeweil]

Sorry to read this. Colligan's remarks are a great read ... R.I.P.

[Hardbopjazz]

Wow. So young. R.I.P. Kenny.

[Teasing the Korean]

Hearing and seeing him in person playing solo piano was an unforgettable experience. RIP.

[7/4]

Young man...Rest in Peace.

Shocking, I enjoyed his FB posts.

[Dan Gould]

Sorry to hear this, I remember how cool I thought it was that Kenny Drew had a son following in his footsteps. I learned pretty fast that I'd always prefer senior to junior but 56 is way too young.

I did like his playing a lot on David "Bubba" Brooks' Smooth Sailing (TCB).

Edited August 5, 2014 by Dan Gould

[Shawn]

Yeah, this is really sad. I was lucky enough to catch him playing with Stanley Turrentine at Jazz Alley in Seattle back in the 90s, talked to him after the show and he was a very friendly and gracious guy.

R.I.P.

[etherbored]

what a particularly brutal year it's been...

[sidewinder]

Yeah, this is really sad. I was lucky enough to catch him playing with Stanley Turrentine at Jazz Alley in Seattle back in the 90s, talked to him after the show and he was a very friendly and gracious guy.

R.I.P.

That is interesting, Shawn. I remember seeing Stanley T. back then at Jazz Alley but never heard who was in the band so I might have seen him. What a great evening that was. Must have been around 1994/95.

Very sorry to hear this news - I think I also saw Kenny Drew Jr. as part of the Mingus Big band here in the UK some years ago. He was very, very good. Truly a tragedy - RIP.

Edited August 5, 2014 by sidewinder

[7/4]

Philip Booth posted on twitter that Kenny Drew Jr has died on 4 August 2014, though yet unconfirmed.

http://betweenthegrooves.wordpress.com/2014/08/04/r-i-p-kenny-drew-jr/

Exactly 21 years after his Father, to the day.

[Mike Schwartz]

It's been confirmed by Scott Elias of Random Act Records.

Fellow pianist George Colligan has written this very insightful blog in his memory.

F

Both of those are far from any sort of confirmation.

That said Mr. Drew was reportedly physically ill and also depressed; a combination which probably adds to the news trickling out in this manor.

[mjzee]

I saw Kenny in a band led by Jack Walrath. RIP.

[Fer Urbina]

It's been confirmed by Scott Elias of Random Act Records.

Fellow pianist George Colligan has written this very insightful blog in his memory.

F

Both of those are far from any sort of confirmation.

FWIW Scott Elias of Random Act was a good friend of Drew. Another friend and fellow pianist, Tom Becker, has also reported his passing.

F

Edited August 7, 2014 by Fer Urbina

[JohnT]

I saw Kenny play just last week --a week ago Saturday. His playing was on fire and he was outstanding! If he was sick, he didn't show it that night. I was very fortunate to be able to catch him playing a lot around the Tampa Bay area here. He will be very sorely missed. A giant walked among us.

[Teasing the Korean]

I saw Kenny play just last week --a week ago Saturday. His playing was on fire and he was outstanding! If he was sick, he didn't show it that night. I was very fortunate to be able to catch him playing a lot around the Tampa Bay area here. He will be very sorely missed. A giant walked among us.

I realize that jazz is pretty much under-appreciated across the board, but what is your sense of how the Tampa Bay region did or did not recognize that an artist of this calibre was their neighbor?

[Eric]

That is too young. I have a bunch of his CDs when he was putting them out consistently 10-15 years ago. Really enjoy his playing.

[JohnT]

I think the Tampa Bay area really embraced Kenny and I think he was appreciated here for the world class musician that he was. I think most knew we were very lucky to have him here. I didn't really know him but maybe that's why he stayed here because he felt that appreciation. However, IMHO, he really belonged much more on the world stage because he was such a great player. Again IMHO, with the state of today's under-appreciation of jazz, he never gained that higher level of appreciation as he should have.

[CJ Shearn]

I never listened to him much but his piece on the state of black music years before the BAM thing, was very insightful.

[Mike Schwartz]

http://jazztimes.com/articles/136046-pianist-kenny-drew-jr-dies-at-56

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I saw Drew perform several times over the years and he was always impressive. His fingers flew across those keys. So young.

[Shawn]

Yeah, this is really sad. I was lucky enough to catch him playing with Stanley Turrentine at Jazz Alley in Seattle back in the 90s, talked to him after the show and he was a very friendly and gracious guy.

R.I.P.

That is interesting, Shawn. I remember seeing Stanley T. back then at Jazz Alley but never heard who was in the band so I might have seen him. What a great evening that was. Must have been around 1994/95.

Very sorry to hear this news - I think I also saw Kenny Drew Jr. as part of the Mingus Big band here in the UK some years ago. He was very, very good. Truly a tragedy - RIP.

It was later when I saw him, probably '99, I remember it being only about 6 months before Stanley passed away.

[Teasing the Korean]

I've not seen anything in the Tampa Bay Times. And it's not like they couldn't just run Philip Booth's piece. What gives?

[sidewinder]

It was later when I saw him, probably '99, I remember it being only about 6 months before Stanley passed away.

Thinking about it, I'm pretty sure that the lineup in 94/95 had electric piano so it would have been a different group. There's a recording with Stanley and Kenny in performance on tour near Inverness, Scotland though in 1999 during that period and it's pretty good.

Edited August 7, 2014 by sidewinder