The Steve Kenny Quintet celebrates the release of their latest recording, Blue Chunks. The album is a compositional concept where bite-sized jazz situations are grouped into suites and performed as a larger work. Each suite is a charcuterie of small ideas, where individually, they can be solemn or exciting or brash. However, when combined, they form complete thoughts. Steve composed the 2014 Ghost Suite as an earlier example of this kind of compositional style. Now, Blue Chunks continues this vision with more examples. Furthermore, the ensemble has been performing these works for a year. This includes Crooner’s Dunsmore Jazz Room, Berlin Jazz Club, and the 2025 Twin Cities Jazz Festival TPT Stage.
Steve Kenny actively participates in the Minnesota jazz community as a performer, composer, and curator. Also, he is a founding member of the Illicit Sextet, Group 47, What Would Monk Do? and his own groups. Kenny was the curator of a weekly Saturday Jazz series at kj’s hideaway, and before that, Black Dog Café. There, he produced over 400 Saturday Night Jazz shows.
2019’s Quartets features original compositions played by four separate ensembles of Twin Cities jazz musicians. Additionally, this includes a live version of Kenny’s Ghost Suite. In 2019 the national Jazz Journalists Association named Steve a “Minnesota Jazz Hero”. Here, they recognized his work in the jazz community and lifelong devotion to the idiom.
Steve Kenny – trumpet Dave Brattain – saxophone Kavyesh Kaviraj – piano Ted Olsen – bass Miguel Hurtado – drums
Recommended for fans of Miles Davis, Terence Blanchard, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Kenny Garrett.
