Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Kenny Washington was born May 29, 1958 in Staten Island, New York and grew up in the Stapleton Projects, attending P.S. 14. He went on to study at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and privately with former Dizzy Gillespie drummer Rudy Collins. While still in his teens he worked with Lee Konitz, recording with the saxophonist’s nonet in 1977. He worked with Carter from 1978-9 and Griffin from 1980.

One of the many young hard-bop revivalists that arrived on the jazz scene in the late ’70s and early ‘80s, Kenny was in particular demand by much older musicians. He has worked with among others Ronnie Mathews, Betty Carter, Johnny Griffin, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, George Cables, Phil Woods, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Sonny Stitt, James Spaulding, Bill Charlap, Bobby Watson, Curtis Lundy, and Tommy Flanagan.

A prolific freelancer not related to bassist Peter Washington, he has compiled an enormous discography, performing on dozens of sessions by many of jazz’s most prominent figures. With a strong interest in jazz history, he has written liner notes for and/or helped prepare classic jazz re-releases by Art Blakey and Count Basie, among others.

Drummer Kenny Washington taught jazz drumming at the New School in New York City, worked as an announcer at the New Jersey jazz radio station WBGO and currently plays with Ahmad Jamal, replacing Idris Muhammad.

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