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| Kenny Kirkland on keyboards, 1987 |
Born
September 28, 1955, Kenny Kirkland was an undisputed
master of keyboards in jazz and pop idioms. His
sudden death on November 1, 1998, at the age of
43 sent shock waves through the music community.
His
career includes stints with Miroslav Vitous, Elvin
Jones, Michael Urbaniak, and Wynton Marsalis.
Perhaps most widely know for his tenure with Sting--with
which he played startling original voicings that
harnessed contemporary electronics to full effect--or
perhaps for his role on television's "The
Tonight Show" band with Branford Marsalis,
Kirkland recorded only one solo album but scores
as a sessions player. His diverse credits include
Terence Blanchard, Carla Bley, Michael Brecker,
Stanley Clarke, Urszula Dudziak, Chico Freeman,
and David Crosby. He also composed songs that
appeared on albums by Charles Fambrough, Wynton
Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, and Jeff Watts.
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