Meet Kenny
Kenny has been a world-class pianist and composer for over forty years. His prolific output of compositions, recordings and publications continue to impact audiences around the world. In 1996 he wrote his landmark book, Effortless Mastery, Liberating The Master Musician Within. Werner has since created videos, lectured world-wide and authored many articles on how musicians, artists or even business people can allow their “master creator” within to lift their performance to it’s highest level, showing us how to be spontaneous, fearless, joyful and disciplined in our work and in our life.
Kenny was awarded the 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship Award for his seminal work, No Beginning No End. No Beginning No End is a musical journey exploring tragedy and loss, death and transition, and the path from one lifetime to the next. Utilizing over 70 musicians, Kenny’s third album for Half Note Records is an expansive composition featuring Joe Lovano, Judy Silvano, Wind Ensemble, Choir and String Quartet.
Born in Brooklyn, NY on November 19, 1951 and then growing up in Oceanside, Long Island, Kenny began playing and performing at a young age, first recording on television at the age of 11. Although he studied classical piano as a child, he enjoyed playing anything he heard on the radio. In high school and his first years of college he attended the Manhattan School of Music as a classical piano major.
His natural instinct for improvisation led Kenny to the Berklee School of Music in 1970. There he sought tutelage of the renowned piano teacher Madame Chaloff. A Her gracious wisdom and inspiration became a driving force in Kenny’s conception: A music conscious of its spiritual intent and essence.
From Boston, Kenny traveled to Brazil with the saxophonist Victor Assis Brasil. There he met Victor’s twin brother, Brazilian pianist Joao Assis Brasil. He studied with Joao, who provided another piece of the puzzle for Kenny’s conception that would lead to Effortless Mastery, his landmark opus on how to allow the master musician from within to manifest.
Meet the Trio
The Kenny Werner Trio, with Ari Hoenig on drums and Johannes Weidenmueller on bass, creates as one voice, playing music that is filled with passion, surprise and cutting edge rhythm. Ari Hoenig is the most innovative drummer of his generation and has a huge following of young hungry musicians that revere his talent. Johannes is the buddha of the group. He embodies wisdom and balance that creates the perfect chemistry to the edgy, unpredictable voices of Kenny and Ari. “Our creativity abounds whether we’re playing standards or original music. The standards sound like originals and the originals sound classic and innovative at the same time.”
For over 25 years the three musicians have worked together. “After a few nights with those guys, I knew that this was the trio of my dreams where moment-to-moment creativity would rock our audiences. I’ve yet to find any other players that can orchestrate my music like Ari and Johannes do. I guess I’m spoiled for life.”
Since, they have recorded many critically acclaimed albums together; Form & Fantasy (2001), Beat Degeneration (2002), Peace – Live at The Blue Note (2004), With a Song in my Heart (2008), The Melody (2015) and Animal Crackers (2017). The Kenny Werner Trio is an experience like no other.
When the soul of the performer starts to vibrate, and he receives his inspiration from that vibration, the souls of the audience start to vibrate and that is the experience behind the music that we all crave.
- Kenny Werner