Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Kiane Zawadi was born Bernard Atwell McKinney on November 26, 1932 in Detroit, Michigan into a family of ten children, several of whom also became musicians. A trombone and euphonium player, he first worked with Barry Harris and Sonny Stitt in 1951, and then played with Alvin Jackson’s band early in the decade. Toward the middle of the decade, he joined Art Blakey, and by 1959 he moved with Yusef Lateef to New York City.

The 1960s had him playing with Illinois Jacquet, James Moody, and Curtis Fuller. It was later in the Sixties that Bernard adopted the name Kiane Zawadi. By the 1970s he was performing with Archie Shepp, Carlos Garnett, Harold Vick, Frank Foster, Charles Tolliver, Abdullah Ibrahim, and McCoy Tyner.

In 1978, he played in the pit orchestra for Dancin’, a Broadway show. He also appeared at a Charlie Parker tribute at Town Hall in New York City in 1985. Other musicians Zawadi worked with include Mongo Santamaría, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Joe Henderson, and Aretha Franklin.

As a sideman, he has recorded thirty-eight albums with Foster, Slide Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Jordan, Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd, Pepper Adams, James Moody, Sun Ra, Hank Mobley, Howard McGhee, Freddie Roach, Archie Shepp, Willis “Gator” Jackson, Dollar Brand, McCoy Tyner, Les McCann, Shirley Scott, Jackie DeShannon, Harold Vick, Charles Tolliver, Carlos Garnett, Kenny Vance, Ralph MacDonald, Phyllis Hyman, Cornell Dupree, Grant Green, Mickey Bass, Illinois Jacquet, Rodney Kendrick, Joe Henderson, and Patience Higgins.

Trombonist and euphonium player Kiane Zawadi, one of the few jazz soloists on the latter instrument, at 87 he continues to perform and record.

More Posts: euphonium,history,instrumental,jazz,music,trombone