Raymond Huston "Ray" Kennedy Jr. (January 6, 1957 – May 28, 2015) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist, composer, and arranger. He was a member of

John Pizzarelli John Paul Pizzarelli Jr. (born April 6, 1960, in Paterson, New Jersey) is an American jazz guitarist and vocalist. He has recorded over twenty solo albums and has appeared on more than forty albums by other recording artists, including Paul McCa ...

's trio for more than a decade and recorded more than 10 albums under his own name.

Life and career

Kennedy was born and grew up in

Maplewood, Missouri Maplewood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. History Maplewood was established around the turn of the 20th century. Maplewood was one of the early suburbs of St. Louis. Located just outside ...

, in 1957."Ray Kennedy"
npr. Retrieved July 5, 2015. His father was a bandleader, trumpeter and vocalist in the 1930s and 1940s in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

. His mother worked in the Maplewood music store that his parents owned. Kennedy had two siblings: Tom, who became a bassist; and Wanda, who also became a musician. With his brother, he formed The Ray Kennedy Trio at the age of 13, and they played together, including with their sister as vocalist, for five years. According to a biographer of

Ruby Braff Reuben "Ruby" Braff (March 16, 1927 – February 9, 2003) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Jack Teagarden was once asked about him on the Garry Moore television show and described Ruby as "the Ivy League Louis Armstrong". Braff ...

, Ray and his brother made a recording together in 1972.Hustad, Thomas P. (2012) ''Born to Play: The Ruby Braff Discography and Directory of Performances''. Scarecrow. p. 604. . Kennedy moved to New York City in his early twenties. He was pianist and arranger for the

Trio for almost 13 years, after joining in 1993. With the John Pizzarelli Trio, Kennedy played with the New York Pops and Boston Pops orchestras, played for Broadway and off-Broadway productions, and toured internationally. Kennedy first recorded with Pizzarelli in 1994, after making two recordings for

Randy Sandke Jay Randall Sandke (born May 5, 1949 in Chicago, Illinois) is a jazz trumpeter and guitarist. While a student at Indiana University in 1968, he and Michael Brecker started a jazz-rock band (Mrs. Seamon's Sound Band) that performed at the Notre D ...

. In 1997 he was part of the cast for the musical ''

Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

''. In 2003 he recorded a piano duo album with

Dick Hyman Richard Hyman (born March 8, 1927) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Over a 70-year career, he has worked as a pianist, organist, arranger, music director, electronic musician, and composer. He was named a National Endowment for the Art ...

.Dryden, Ke
"Dick Hyman – What Is There to Say?"
AllMusic. Retrieved July 5, 2015. Around 2005, Kennedy, according to John Pizzarelli, "began expressing a desire to get off the road and spend more time with his family". Kennedy developed multiple sclerosis symptoms in 2006. His career had ended by 2013, and he was living in a nursing home. Kennedy died at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City, on May 28, 2015.Sorkin, Michael D. (June 3, 2015
"Ray Kennedy, Renowned Jazz Pianist from St. Louis, Dies at 58 from MS"
stltoday.com He was survived by his wife, Eve Langner, and two daughters, Lauren and Brielle.

Playing style

"Kennedy was known for his finger technique and his ability to swing and improvise versions of well-known jazz works."

Discography

An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.

As leader/co-leader

As sideman

References

;Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Ray 1957 births 2015 deaths American jazz pianists American male pianists 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians