Kenny Drew
1928 - 1993

Kenny Drew var født i New York City i august 1928. Han døde i København d. 4. august 1993.
Kun fem år gammel begyndte han at gå til klassisk klaver hos en privat lærer, og som otte-årig gav han sin første koncert.
Denne tidlige baggrund svarer til Bud Powells. Bud Powell blev senere hans væsentligste inspirationskilde som jazzpianist.
Efter som 12-årig at have dyrket Fats Waller blev det Art Tatum og Teddy Wilson, han lyttede til.
Drew blev i elevtiden på High School of Music and Art kendt som medrivende boogie woogie-pianist. Men den fase var gennemlevet inden hans eksamen.
Hans første plade blev indspillet i slutningen af 1949 sammen med bl.a. Howard McGhee, Brew Moore og J.J. Johnson.
I 50-erne blev han en efterspurgt som studiemusiker af tidens største navne - Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young og Charlie Parker.
Efter et par år i Los Angeles, hvor han fik succes som leder af en kvartet, vendte han tilbage til New York.
I 1957 var han akkompagnatør for Dinah Washington og indspillede sammen med John Coltrane det monumentale mesterværk "Blue Train".
I 1961 flyttede han til Paris, hvor han slog igennem som et stort navn. I 1964 valgte han at flytte til København, hvor han blev indfanget af det dynamiske miljø omkring Jazzhus Montmartre.
Han blev i København til sin død i 1993.
Her blev han også værdsat uden for jazzkredse for sine indspildninger af danske melodier sammen med Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen.
Hans trio med bassisten Mads Vinding og Ed Thigpen på trommer trak fuldt hus overalt. Ikke kun i Europa men også i Japan.

THE KENNY DREW TRIO
KENNY DREW

(RIVERSIDE, RLP-224,
OJC-065)

1. Caravan
2. Come Rain Or Come Shine
3. Ruby My Dear
4. Weird-O
5. Taking A Chance On Love
6. When You Wish Upon A Star
7. Blues For Nica
8. It's Only A Paper Moon

KENNY DREW, p
PAUL CHAMBERS, b
PHILLY JOE JONES, ds

Recorded 1956/09/20,26

THIS IS NEW
KENNY DREW QUINTET / QUARTET

(RIVERSIDE, RLP-236,
OJC-483)

1. This Is New
2. Carol
3. It's You Or No One
4. You're My Thrill
5. Little T
6. Paul's Pal
7. Why Do I Love You ?
Quintet ..... #1-3
Quartet ..... #4-7

KENNY DREW, p
DONALD BYRD, tp
HANK MOBLEY, ts(#1-3)
WILBUR WARE, b
G.T. HOGAN, ds

Recorded :
1957/03/28(#1-3)
1957/04/03 (#4-7)

PAL JOEY
THE KENNY DREW TRIO

(RIVERSIDE, RLP-249,
OJC-1809)

1. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
2. Do It The Hard Way
3. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
4. Happy Hunting Horn
5. I Could Write A Book
6. What Is A Man?
7. My Funny Valentine
8. The Lady Is A Tramp

KENNY DREW, p
WILBUR WARE, b
PHILLY JOE JONES, ds

Recorded 1957/10/15

UNDERCURRENT
KENNY DREW

(BLUE NOTE, BLP-4059,
TOCJ-4059)

1. Undercurrent
2. Funk-Cosity
3. Lion's Den
4. The Pot's On
5. Groovin' The Blues
6. Ballade

KENNY DREW, p
FREDDIE HUBBARD, tp
HANK MOBLEY, ts
SAM JONES, b
LOUIS HAYES, ds

Recorded 1960/12/11

DARK BEAUTY
KENNY DREW

(STEEPLE CHASE,
SCS-1016,
VACE-1001)

1. Run Away
2. Dark Beauty
3. Summer Nights
4. All Blues
5. A Felcidade
6. It Could Happen To You
7. Love Letters
8. Silk Bossa
9. Blues Inn
10. In Your Own Sweet Way
11. A Stranger In Paradise

KENNY DREW, p
NIELS-HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN, b
ALBERT "TOOTIE" HEATH, ds

Recorded 1974/05/21,22

IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW
KENNY DREW

(STEEPLE CHASE,
SCS-1034,
VACE-1052)

1. In Your Own Sweet Way
2. If You Could See Me Now
3. All Souls Here
4. I'm Oldfashioned
5. Free Flight
6. Run Away (take 3)
7. Summer Night (take 1)
8. A Stranger In Paradise
9. Prelude To A Kiss
10. This Is The Moment
11. Oleo

KENNY DREW, p
NIELS-HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN, b
ALBERT "TOOTIE" HEATH, ds

Recorded 1974/05/21,22

NATURE BEAUTY
KENNY DREW

(KEYSTONE, VACY-1015)

1. Dear Old Stockholm
2. Nature Beatury
3. Django
4. Autumn Leaves
5. Water Stream
6. Dream
7. When You Wish Upon A Star
8. Dream Land
9. Willow Weep For Me
10. Hash-A-Bye
11. Finale

KENNY DREW, p
NEILS-HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN, b
ED THIGPEN, ds

Recorded 1978-1980

YOUR SOFT EYES
KENNY DREW

(SOUL NOTE,
SN 1031 CD)

1. Forgotten But Not Gone
2. Alone Toghether
3. Your Soft Eyes
4. Evening In The Park
5. How Are Things In Glocca Morra
6. Mads' Blues

KENNY DREW, p
MADS VINDING, b
ED THIGPEN, ds

Recorded 1981/11/25

IMPRESSIONS
KENNY DREW TRIO

(ALFA JAZZ, ALCB-9501)

1. Impressions
2. Evening In The Park
3. Cafe Flore
4. Autumn Leaves
5. No Greater Love
6. My Ship
7. Rouge Blues
8. Morning Mist
9. Last Tango In Paris
10. The Way We Were

KENNY DREW, p
NIELS-HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN, b
ALVIN QUEEN, ds

Recorded 1988/08/01,02,03

RECOLLECTIONS
KENNY DREW TRIO

(ALFA JAZZ, ALCB-9502)

1. Golden Earrings
2. Les Parapluies De Cherbourg
3. Gentle Rain
4. Chateau En Suede
5. In Your Own Sweet Way
6. Copenhagen Blues
7. The Summer Knows
8. A Foggy Day
9. Suddenly It's Spring
10. Old Danish
11. Recollections

KENNY DREW, p
NIELS-HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN, b
ALVIN QUEEN, ds

Recorded 1989/05/14,15

EXPRESSIONS
KENNY DREW TRIO

(ALFA JAZZ, ALCR-65)

1. Autumn In Rome
2. Cathedral In Milano
3. Oboe Concerto D minor
4. Anastasia
5. My Funny Valentine
6. Isn't It Romantic ?
7. Valse Italiano
8. Sorrento
9. The Big Boot
10. Expressions

KENNY DREW, p
NIELS-HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN, b
ALVIN QUEEN, ds

Recorded 1990/05/07,08,09

THE FIRST & THE LAST
KENNY DREW
SPECIAL TRIO

(BAYBRIDGE, TECW-25571)

1. The Autumn Leaves
2. Stella By Starlight
3. All Blues
4. Django
5. In Your Won Sweet Way
6. Blues

KENNY DREW, p
GEORGE MRAZ, b
LEWIS NASH, ds

Recorded 1990/10/20

LIVE AT THE KEYSTONE KORNER TOKYO
KENNY DREW

(ALFA JAZZ, ALCR-88/89)

DISC-1 :
1. Caravan
2. Misty
3. Stella By Starlight
4. Tenderly
5. Satin Doll
6. It Could Happen To You
7. Yesterdays
8. All The Things You Are
9. Oleo
DISC-2 :
1. Summertime
2. Easy Living
3. The Days Of Wine And Roses
4. You Don't Know What Love Is
5. Someday My Prince Will Come
6. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
7. On Green Dolphin Street
8. It Might As Well Be Spring
9. Alone Together

KENNY DREW, p
NIELS-HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN, b
ALVIN QUEEN, ds

Recorded 1991/01/30,31

PIANO NIGHT
KENNY DREW

(MELDAC, MECJ-30018)

1. In Your Own Sweet Way
2. It's Might As Well Be Spring
3. Bluesology
4. Samba Petite
5. Yesterdays
6. My Shining Hour
7. St. Thomas

KENNY DREW, p
NIELS-HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN, b
ALVIN QUEEN, ds

Recorded 1992/05/20
Live in Kurtheather Baden Switzerland