Kenny White
As
a six-year-old boy, Kenny would hear songs on the radio and play
back what he'd just heard. His father, already having a brother
planted firmly in the Borscht Belt circuit, was troubled. College,
he thought…please…college…maybe med school? Not to be – piano
lessons it was. Quickly growing impatient of being told that “yes,
all the notes” were required in the Mozart pieces, and that changing
them was not, indeed, making the music better, he gently pushes his
teacher off the bench. Kenny decided then that he was going to play
the piano....his way.
Here’s the chronology ---
Displaced native New Yorker moves to Boston. Gets gigs with
Livingston Taylor and later Jonathan Edwards. Realizes Boston, while
nice and clean, is not offering same chances as New York City. Rolls
up Red Sox banner and Larry Bird shirt and moves back to New York.
Soon finds he is fast becoming a fixture in the arena of T.V. &
radio commercials. Writes and produces literally hundreds of
commercials in the following years, having his music, anonymous as
it was, heard by millions. In this capacity, works with Linda
Ronstadt, Dwight Yoakam, Gladys Knight, Aaron Neville, Ricky Skaggs,
Al Jarreau, Kim Carnes, and many others while leaving an indelible
mark on the ad business.
During this time meets
up & coming New York based Marc Cohn & Shawn Colvin. Helps out on
their records and produces I Don’t Know Why from Shawn's 'Fat City'
that earns her Best Pop Vocal Grammy nomination. Soon meets Peter
Wolf and forms immediate musical bond. Goes on to produce critically
acclaimed Fools Parade & Sleepless, getting to work with Keith
Richards on the latter. Rolling Stone Magazine names Sleepless “An
instant classic!” Finds time to add his piano to many films
including Message in a Bottle, Ed TV, A Walk on the Moon, Forces of
Nature, Where the Heart Is, Edie & Pen, and not least of all, four
John Sayles films. Gets noticed as one of the most dazzling piano
players on the pop music circuit, that notion seconded by many
reviewers and journalists around the U.S.
Wakes up one morning, scratches head, realizes that real passion may
have eluded him so far. Finds himself with a collection of well
crafted, insightful & very musical compositions. Assembles A-List
players to help create 2002 independent release Uninvited Guest and
hits the road with pals he's worked with and informs them of change
of lifestyle & now wants to get on tour as much as possible. Cheryl
Wheeler, Jonathan Edwards, Shawn Colvin, Peter Wolf, Richard
Shindell say “Excellent, you can do some shows with me.” “Awesome”,
Kenny says and packs Red Sox banner, Larry Bird shirt and razor and
hits the road.
Finds reviews of Uninvited Guest glowing, even earning an “Album of
the Week” spotlight on George Graham's “Mixed Bag” radio show,
attracting the attention of many respected DJ's and radio
programmers including Meg Griffin of Sirius Satellite Radio &
Mountain Stage. Voted one of WUMB's Top 100 Audience favorites in
2002 and 2003. ----
After two years supporting his Debut release, Uninvited Guest, Kenny
White has once again gathered a remarkable ensemble of talent to
help him record his new LP, Symphony in 16 Bars, featuring guest
appearances by Al Anderson (NRBQ, guitar), Marc Cohn (bkgr. vox),
Amy Helm (Ollabelle - vocals), Merrie Amsterburg (vocals) as well as
the superb musicianship of Jay Bellerose (Paule Cole, Joe Henry -
drums), Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan - guitars), Shawn Pelton (SNL,
Sheryl Crow - drums), Dan Rieser (Marcy's Playground, Norah Jones -
drums), Larry Saltzman (Simon & Garfunkel - guitars). Mainly
produced by Kenny, he called in Paul Bryan (Aimee Mann - bass, ac.
guitar) and David Barratt to also produce a few tracks. Symphony in
16 Bars picks up thematically where Uninvited Guest left off. Like a
Woody Allen film, a main character set in New York City explores the
paths the heart and soul travel while trying to find his way through
the complexities of love and a changing landscape. An early copy of
Symphony in 16 Bars lands in the hands of folk legend Judy Collins
who released Symphony on her independent label, Wildflower Records
in February 2005.