1. Kenneth David Kirkland was an American pianist and keyboardist.
10 Facts About Kenny Kirkland
1. 2.
Kenny Kirkland is featured on Vitous' ECM recordings First Meeting and Miroslav Vitous Group.
3.
In 1980, while Kenny Kirkland was on tour in Japan with Terumasa Hino, he met Wynton Marsalis, which began his long association with both Wynton and his older brother Branford.
4.
On Wynton's self-titled debut album, Kenny Kirkland shared the piano duties with one of his musical influences, Herbie Hancock, but was the sole pianist on Marsalis's subsequent releases Think of One, Hot House Flowers and Black Codes.
5.
In 1985 Kenny Kirkland joined the Blue Turtles, the jazz-pop studio-and-touring backing band put together by Sting to perform the latter's post-Police solo work and which can be heard on his first two solo releases The Dream of the Blue Turtles and Bring on the Night.
6.
Kenny Kirkland is featured on Branford's funk band album Buckshot Lefonque.
7.
When Branford Marsalis assumed the high-visibility role of bandleader for NBC TV's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Kenny Kirkland became the band's pianist.
8.
On November 7,1998, Kenny Kirkland attended Marsalis's wedding in New Rochelle, New York.
9.
Kenny Kirkland was found dead in his Queens apartment on Friday, November 13,1998.
10.
Kenny Kirkland was survived by his mother, brother and two sisters.