Kenny Davern

Kenny Davern ( January 7, 1935 in Huntington, Long Iceland, New York, † December 12, 2006 in Sandia Park, New Mexico ) was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist (soprano, etc.) of Dixieland jazz and swing.

Life and work

Davern came from a broken home and lived in nine foster families until he grew up with his grandmother in Queens, which was a Lithuanian Jew, while his father was Irish Catholic. He became interested in jazz after hearing swing musicians like Artie Shaw, was of prägendem influence but then the Dixieland jazz music of Pee Wee Russell, whom he heard in Eddie Condon's New York club. Davern took classical clarinet lessons with David Weber of the Orchestra of the New York City Ballet. In 1951, he played in gigs with Red Allen and went in 1953 with the Big Band of the pianist Ralph Flanagan on tour. In 1954 he joined the band of Jack Teagarden. When they wanted to tour in California, but the musicians' union asked for a half-year stay, he moved in 1955 to the " Memphis Five" by Phil Napoleon. With them he played in Nick's in Greenwich Village in New York, and also with Pee Wee Erwin and his own band " Washington Squares". In 1961 he played in the band of Ted Lewis at the Roseland Ballroom and 1962 /3 on the " Dukes of Dixieland " (with whom he recorded a gospel album, among others with the Clara Ward Singers). In the late 1960s he played a lot together in a band with pianist Dick Wellstood in " The Ferry Boat " in Brielle, New Jersey (which he loved, which he turned down an offer, " All Stars Louis Armstrong " play along with the ). He became known in the 1970s with the band "Soprano Summit", which he directed with Bob Wilber - both met first on one of Dick Gibson's " Colorado Jazz Parties ". After the dissolution of the band in 1979, he turned primarily to the clarinet. He played at festivals (such as the Newport Jazz Festival, Nice, Edinburgh and the North Sea Jazz Festival), to jazz parties and with the " New York Jazz Repertory Company " under Dick Hyman. In 1991, Wilber a "Summit Reunion". In the 2000s, he took a few albums on Arbors at which, inter alia, Ken Peplowski and Tony DeNicola participated.

In 1978 he took up with Steve Lacy (whom he knew from the Dixieland scene of the 1950s ), Paul Motian, and Steve Swallow, the free-jazz album " Unexpected".

He became an honorary doctorate from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, 2001. He died of a heart attack at his home in New Mexico.