Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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McKENNA, Dave

(b 30 May 1930, Woonsocket RI; d 18 October 2008) Pianist. Worked with Charlie Ventura '49, Woody Herman '50-1, served in US Army in Korea; worked with Ventura again, Gene Krupa, many others; in '60s with Eddie Condon, Bobby Hackett (inclluding Hackett album Blues With A Kick on Capitol). He moved to Cape Cod '67 and has mostly worked there, in '70s sometimes alternating sets with Teddy Wilson; often seen on festival scene since late '70s and on Concord records. Whitney Balliett wrote in the New Yorker (and in the collection American Musicians: 56 Portraits In Jazz '86) that McKenna practises 'pure improvisation'. McKenna says there's no such thing, and is not even sure he's a jazz musician, but with an especially strong left hand and excellent time, fans (who include many musicians) say he can sound like a whole ensemble.

He recorded solo for ABC-Paramount '55; one of his first albums on Epic '58 (The Piano Scene Of Dave McKenna on a Koch CD) is a swinging set, interesting because it caught him with John Drew and Osie Johnson on bass and drums, quite boppy before he had developed that left hand. He made a two-piano set with Hal Overton (and bass and drums) on Bethlehem '60, recorded for Realm '63, and came into his own mostly solo including Cookin' At Michael's Pub '73 on Marian McPartland's Halcyon label, Solo Piano and Quartet With Zoot Sims '73-4 on Chiaroscuro, By Myself '76 on Shiah, No Holds Barred '77 on Famous Door with Scott Hamilton, Al Cohn etc; Both Sides Of Dave McKenna '73 was a solo album in Japan only. Then on Concord: No Bass Hit and Major League with Hamilton, Plays The Music Of Harry Warren with Jake Hanna and Bob Maize, also Giant Strides '79, Left Handed Compliment and Celebration Of Hoagy Carmichael '83, The Key Man! '84, Dancing In The Dark (And Other Music Of Arthur Schwartz) '85, My Friend The Piano '86; Concord Duo Series Vol. 2 '92 was a duo with guitarist Gray Sargent, You Must Believe In Spring '96 with Buddy DeFranco.