Bio
KENNY WHITE ~ a snapshot
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.