Kenny Kirkland

Biography

Closely associated sometimes with Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland amazingly just led one CD of his own ahead of his premature death. He began playing piano at age group six and afterwards studied on the Manhattan College of Music. Among his early careers were using Michal Urbaniak (on electrical keyboards) during 1977, Miroslav Vitous (1979), Terumasa Hino, and Elvin Jones. Inspired by Herbie Hancock, Kirkland was well-featured while with Wynton Marsalis’ music group (1981-1985), but his departure in 1985 to try out pop music with Sting (alongside Branford Marsalis) significantly annoyed Wynton. After departing Sting in 1986, Kirkland became a program musician and in the first ’90s, he became a member of the Tonight Present band (beneath the path of Branford Marsalis); his just album being a head was for GRP (1991). Kirkland was discovered useless in his Queens, NY, house on November 13, 1998; he was simply 43 yrs . old.

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