Kenny Werner Quintet Ends Stint at The Blue Note 4/18

Kenny Werner and his quintet featuring Randy Brecker, David Sanchez, John Patitucci and Antonio Sanchez will end their run at the Blue Note from April 18. Since the early ‘80s, Werner has performed with some of the finest musicians in jazz, and his trio featuring Johannes Wiedenmueller and Ari Hoenig was widely considered one of the most innovative of its kind over their nine years together, starting in 1999.

The Quintet is Werner's newest group, and over the last year, he has continued to write new and exciting material in preparation for this week's Half Note Records Live Recording. In early August 2009, Werner recorded his largest project to date with a 45-piece wind ensemble, large choir and string ensemble for a third-stream suite titled "No Beginning, No End." The piece is derived from Werner's poem written in the days following the untimely death of his daughter Katheryn in 2006. "No Beginning, No End" was recorded on Half Note Records and will feature tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and vocalist Judi Silvano in addition to Werner on piano. The recording will be released on Half Note Records in the summer of 2010. *Note that Wednesday night will feature opening act Adam Larson & Beyond The Boundaries at no additional charge as a part of the Blue Note's Emerging Artist Series (6:30 - 7:30pm)

BIO: Kenny Werner was born on November 19, 1951 in Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.A. At the age of eleven, he recorded a single with a fifteen-piece orchestra and appeared on television playing stride piano. He attended the Manhattan School of Music as a concert piano major. In 1970, he transferred to the Berklee School of Music. In 1977, recorded first LP that featured of the music of Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, James P. Johnson and George Gershwin and later that year with Charles Mingus on Something Like A Bird.

In the early 80's he toured extensively and recorded with Archie Shepp. In 1984 he joined the Mel Lewis Orchestra. He received performance grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in both 1985 and 1987, and was commissioned to compose and conduct a memorial piece for Duke Ellington at St. John of the Divine Church in New York performed by the Manhattan School of Music's Stage Band and the New York City Choir. Has also written compositions for the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, now known as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

In 1981, he formed his first trio with bassist Ratzo Harris and drummer Tom Rainey. Their first trio CD for Sunnyside records was entitled, Ken Werner - Introducing The Trio. They played together for fourteen years. Since 1971, Kenny has also enjoyed a close friendship and musical collaboration with brilliant saxophonist Joe Lovano. Since 1989-served as pianist, arranger and musical director for the noted film, television and Broadway star, Betty Buckley. Starting in the mid-90s, Werner also began collaborating in duo and quartet settings with harmonica superstar Toots Thielemans.

Werner is a prolific composer and bandleader and has made a number of significant recordings in his career. He has recorded extensively for Half Note Records, the in-house record label of the Blue Note Jazz Club, his first release being a 2004 trio recording entitled Peace featuring bassist Johannes Weidenmüller and drummer Ari Hoenig. His 2006 release on Half Note, titled Democracy Now, featured his quintet fronted by David Sanchez and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler. In March, 2008, Werner showcased his chops as an arranger alongside vocalist Roseanna Vitro with their audacious recording, The Delirium Blues Project: Serve Or Suffer, and just this past August 2009, Werner recorded his largest project to date, a wind ensemble piece featuring Joe Lovano and Judi Silvano to be released by Half Note in the coming year.

Werner is also a celebrated educator. His 1996 book Effortless Mastery: Liberating The Master Musician Within has had a major impact on the music world. The book provides aspiring musicians with a series of unique practice techniques that focus on psychological and spiritual aspects of playing music while instilling confidence through positive thinking. Werner currently teaches at NYU and has taught his theories at clinics all over the world.

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