David Kane is an American pianist, composer, arranger, author and music critic.

Biography

Kane was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

in 1955 and moved to the United States with his family in 1965. He began playing piano and composing music at the age of eight. He attended North Texas State University in 1972. In 1975, he moved to Washington DC, where he studied with Doctor Asher Zlotnik for five years. In addition, he studied with

Ludmila Ulehla Ludmila Ulehla (1923–2009) was an American composer and music educator. Biography Ludmila Ulehla was born in Flushing, Queens, New York. She began the study of piano and violin very early and wrote short compositions at the age of five. ...

, Alan Mandel, and

Clare Fischer Douglas Clare Fischer (October 22, 1928 – January 26, 2012) was an American keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. After graduating from Michigan State University (from which, five decades later, he would receive an honorary doctorate ...

. Kane currently resides in

Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially unincorporated, in practice it is an edge city, with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 censu ...

Career

Jazz pianist Kane has performed with many jazz artists including

Woody Shaw Woody Herman Shaw Jr. (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator. Shaw is widely known as one of the most important and influential jazz trumpet ...

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, Mark Murphy,

Eddie Daniels Eddie Daniels (born October 19, 1941) is an American musician and composer. Although he is best known as a jazz clarinetist, he has also played saxophone and flute as well as classical music on clarinet. Early life, family and education Daniel ...

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Pam Bricker Pamela Carroll Bricker (July 7, 1954 – February 20, 2005) was a jazz singer and professor of music at George Washington University. She was a frequent collaborator and guest vocalist with the group Thievery Corporation, and the voice on their t ...

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, and Michelle Hendricks. In addition, he has led his own Washington D.C.-based jazz quartet featuring drummer Michael S. Smith, saxophonist Glenn Cashman, and bassist

Drew Gress Drew Gress (born November 20, 1959) is an American jazz double-bassist and composer born in Trenton, New Jersey and raised in the Philadelphia area. Biography Gress studied at Towson State University and Manhattan School of Music. In the late 1 ...

. Classical pianist and composer Kane has accompanied many classical artists including the Twentieth Century Consort, the

National Symphony Orchestra The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It also performs for the annual National Mem ...

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore SO has its principal residence at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. In 2005, it bega ...

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, and

James Galway Sir James Galway (born 8 December 1939) is an Irish virtuoso flute player from Belfast, nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Flute". He established an international career as a solo flute player. In 2005, he received the Brit Award for Outstan ...

. Kane has composed a variety of chamber works. His best known piece, ''Emergence: a Cicada Serenade'' was commissioned by the Strathmore Center for the Arts. Film and TV composer Kane composed music for television and film for over 30 years with over 250 credits to his name. Most notably, he composed music for the

National Geographic Channel National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television television network, network and flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel owned by the National Geograp ...

series ''

Taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

'' and the

Smithsonian Channel The Smithsonian Channel is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its media networks division under MTV Entertainment Group. It offers video content inspired by the Smithsonian Institution's museums, research facilit ...

's '' Stories from the Vaults''. He composed scores for three films, including the 2004 independent film, '' Crazy Like a Fox'' starring

Roger Rees Roger Rees (5 May 1944 – 10 July 2015) was a Welsh actor and director, widely known for his stage work. He won an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for his performance as the lead in ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby''. He also rece ...

and Oscar winner,

Mary McDonnell Mary Eileen McDonnell (born April 28, 1952) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received Academy Award nominations for her roles as Stands With A Fist in ''Dances with Wolves'' and May-Alice Culhane in ''Passion Fish''. McD ...

. In addition, he composed the theme music for

Public Radio International Public Radio International (PRI) was an American public radio organization. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, PRI provided programming to over 850 public radio stations in the United States. PRI was one of the main providers of programm ...

's monthly documentary program, ''

America Abroad ''America Abroad'' was a monthly documentary radio program produced by America Abroad Media (AAM), a Washington D.C.-based non-profit organization. The program was distributed by Public Radio International (PRI) and broadcast on public radio sta ...

''. Author From 2006 to 2015, Kane wrote music criticism for

Cadence Magazine ''Cadence: The Independent Journal of Creative Improvised Music'' is a quarterly review of jazz, blues and improvised music. The magazine covers a range of styles, from early jazz and blues to the avant-garde. Critic and historian Bob Rusch fou ...

. In 2021 Jamey Aebersold Jazz published Kane's treatise on improvisation, ''Playing Outside the Chord'' Other work From 1990 to 2001, Kane was the orchestrator for the US Army Soldiers Show. Kane has also orchestrated for the National Symphony Orchestra, the Maryland Symphony as well as for other film composers. In 2008, he was one of the primary subjects of Dr. Charles Limb's study on the science of music and creativity. In 2015, Kane joined the faculty of the University of Arkansas where he teaches the Jazz Masters Program.

Selected discography

As a leader: * David Kane – ''March Heir'' (1988) * Tekke (with Drew Gress) – ''Tekke'' (1989) * David Kane – ''Solotude'' (1996) * David Kane – ''Grey Matters'' (2005) * David Kane – ''Machinery of the Night'' (2007) As a sideman: * Denyce Graves – ''A Washington Christmas'' * Pam Bricker and Rick Harris – ''All the Things You Are'' * Capitol Bones – ''Matt Niess and the Capitol Bones'' * Dick Orr – ''Like an Eager Child'' * Craig Fraederich – ''So in Love'' * Si Kahn – ''Good Times and Bedtimes'' * Eddie Vann – ''New Shades'' * Lisa Rich – ''High Wire'' * Mike Thornton – ''Homeward''

References

External links

David Kane Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kane, David 1955 births American film score composers American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists American male classical composers American classical composers Living people American male film score composers Musicians from Glasgow 20th-century American pianists 21st-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Scottish jazz pianists British jazz pianists