Historical Dictionary of Jazz by John S. Davis

Author:John S. Davis [Davis, John S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Published: 2012-06-12T16:00:00+00:00

K

KAMINSKY, MAX (1908–1994). Kaminsky’s career as a trumpet player began in 1920, and he reached popular status around the Boston area by the time he was 20. Kaminsky was hired by many big bands and small-group leaders throughout the early 1930s including groups led by Joe Venuti, Tommy Dorsey, Bud Freeman, and Artie Shaw. Kaminsky’s career was primarily as a freelancer, which was the case for most of the 1940s. On several occasions, he attempted to lead his own big band, but for a variety of reasons these ventures never lasted for more than a year or two. His career was given a boost when he was hired to tour with Jack Teagarden and Earl Hines in the late 1950s. Kaminsky’s career settled significantly in the following decades, and he worked primarily as a freelance musician with big bands in New York.

KANSAS CITY FIVE. A popular name used by several Kansas City jazz quintets, including groups led by Elmer Snowden, Eddie Durham, and Buck Clayton.

KANSAS CITY JAZZ. The term used to describe the style of jazz that was being played by territory bands. Kansas City Jazz was considered to be a melting pot of a variety of jazz styles, and the bands that worked there included elements of Ragtime, early Blues, and Swing music. Notable bands from the region included those of Buck Clayton, Bennie Moten, Andy Kirk, and most importantly, Count Basie. Many important jazz musicians came out of this area including Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, and Charlie Parker.

KANSAS CITY ROCKETS. A big band founded in Kansas City by previous members of the big band led by Bennie Moten. The group frequently toured and played in Chicago during its six-year existence from 1931 to 1937.

KANSAS CITY SEVEN. A septet led by Count Basie in the 1940s and 1950s. The majority of Basie’s career featured him fronting a big band with the exception of the brief hiatuses he would take to lead the Kansas City Seven.

KANSAS CITY SIX. A group that grew out of the Kansas City Five and was often made up of members from Count Basie’s big band. The Kansas City Six was active from the late 1930s into the 1960s, and sometimes the group was augmented to include a seventh musician. Members of the Kansas City Six include Eddie Durham, Buck Clayton, Jo Jones, Dicky Wells, and Lester Young. Members rotated frequently, however, and the group went through several personnel changes during its existence.

KELLAWAY, ROGER (1939– ). Kellaway developed as a pianist and bassist while still a teenager and studied both instruments and composition at New England Conservatory in the late 1950s. Kellaway developed a reputation as an outstanding pianist and accompanist and was hired by several groups in the 1960s, including ones led by Sonny Rollins, Bob Brookmeyer, Kai Winding, and Wes Montgomery. Trumpet player and composer Don Ellis hired Kellaway to join his revolutionary big band in Los Angeles. Kellaway quickly settled in Los Angeles and found work as a pianist and as a movie score composer contributing to films such as A Star Is Born and The Paper Lion.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.