Rodney Kendrick

Rodney Kendrick ( born April 30, 1960 in Philadelphia ) is an American jazz pianist, composer and music producer. He is considered "hard swinging " musicians " delicious, Monkhaften wit and Drive. "

Life and work

Kendrick grew up in Miami up in a musical family; his father, pianist Jimmy Kay Kendrick accompanied many years, Illinois Jacquet; his mother was a gospel singer. He first played drums before he turned to the piano. In the late 1970s he toured with Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, James Brown and George Clinton. In 1981 he turned to jazz and moved to New York City where he studied with Barry Harris. Further influences were Randy Weston and Sun Ra. In the next few years he accompanied musicians such as Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, George Benson, Clark Terry or JJ Johnson. In the 1990s he was a member for seven years to a trio Abbey Lincoln, acted for them as musical director and was involved in several of their albums. In addition, he led his own bands and since 1994 albums released under his own name, on which his musicians such as Houston Person, Arthur Blythe, Bheki Mseleku or Graham Haynes, in recent years, Randy Weston, his wife, the singer and actress Rhonda Ross, and father participated. He also took up with Frank Morgan, Bheki Mseleku, Jeffery Smith and Justin Robinson and composed for the 29th Street Saxophone Quartet, Justin Robinson and Lafayette Harris.

Disco Graphical Notes

• Dance, World, Dance ( Verve, 1995)
• No Dress Code ( Polydor 1998)
• Thank You (2002)