Age, Biography and Wiki

Dave McKenna was born on 30 May, 1930 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, U.S., is an American jazz pianist. Discover Dave McKenna's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 78 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation Musician
Age 78 years old
Zodiac Sign Gemini
Born 30 May 1930
Birthday 30 May
Birthplace Woonsocket, Rhode Island, U.S.
Date of death 18 October, 2008
Died Place State College, Pennsylvania
Nationality Rhode Island

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 30 May. He is a member of famous artist with the age 78 years old group.

Dave McKenna Height, Weight & Measurements

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Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

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Dave McKenna Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Dave McKenna worth at the age of 78 years old? Dave McKenna’s income source is mostly from being a successful artist. He is from Rhode Island. We have estimated Dave McKenna's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
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Timeline

1930

Dave McKenna (May 30, 1930 – October 18, 2008) was an American jazz pianist known primarily as a solo pianist and for his "three-handed" swing style.

He was a significant figure in the evolution of jazz piano.

He was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, United States.

1949

At age 15, McKenna worked in big bands with Charlie Ventura (1949) and Woody Herman's Orchestra (1950–51).

1953

He then spent two years in the military, in the Korea War, before returning to Ventura (1953–54).

During his career he worked in swing and dixieland settings with Al Cohn, Eddie Condon, Stan Getz, Gene Krupa, Zoot Sims, Joe Venuti, and often with Bob Wilber and Bobby Hackett.

1955

McKenna released his first solo album in 1955.

1958

McKenna recorded extensively from 1958–2002, beginning with ABC-Paramount (1956), Epic (1958), Bethlehem (1960) and Realm (1963).

1970

He made several recordings for Chiaroscuro in the 1970s, including his comeback album Solo Piano.

1979

He debuted with the Concord Jazz label in 1979, for whom he recorded many albums as both a soloist and group member.

He was featured in the second volume of Concord's 42-disc series recorded live at Maybeck Recital Hall.

1980

During the 1980s, he worked as a pianist at the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston.

2002

His last recording, An Intimate Evening with Dave McKenna was released by Arbors in 2002.

McKenna's musical style relied on two key elements relating to his choices of tunes and set selection, and the method of playing that has come to be known as "three-handed swing".

His renditions usually began with a spare, open statement of the melody; or, on ballads, a freely played, richly harmonized one.

He then often stated the theme a second time, gradually bringing in more harmony or a stronger pulse.

His improvisation then began in earnest on three simultaneous levels: a walking bassline, mid-range chords, and an improvised melody.

The bassline, for which McKenna frequently employed the rarely used lowest regions of the piano, was often played non-legato to simulate a double bassist's phrasing.

The chords were played with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand or of both hands combined, if the bass was not too low to make the stretch unfeasible.

Sometimes he also added a guide-tone line consisting of thirds and sevenths on top of the bass, played by the thumb of the left hand.

With his right hand's remaining fingers, he then played the melody, weaving it into improvised lines featuring colorful chromaticism, blues licks and mainstream-jazz ideas.

The result was the sound of a three-piece band under one person's creative control.

McKenna often used his left hand to emulate the sound of a rhythm jazz guitarist, playing a four-to-the-bar "strum" consisting of a bass note (root/fifth/other interval), third and seventh.

This pattern often took the form of intervals of a tenth, which is why the voicings were frequently "broken" arpeggiated, with the top two notes being played on the beat and the bass note slightly before.

He often subtly altered these voicings every two beats for variety.

His "broken tenth" sound was frequently mistaken for stride piano.

However, it was a more modern four-beat style, as opposed to stride's two-beat "oom-pah" rhythm (a la Fats Waller).

McKenna was also quite capable of playing full stride piano, and occasionally broke into stride choruses, especially on songs associated with traditional jazz or at the height of an up-tempo song's development.

The characteristic that perhaps most distinguishes McKenna's playing is his sense of time.

One of the biggest challenges of solo jazz piano is the need to provide a compelling time feel, in part by emulating the rhythmic landscape normally provided by three or four players in a small group.

By conceiving multiple "parts" and playing them with distinct volume levels and time feels (often with right hand chords ahead of the beat and the melody behind the beat), McKenna had a unique ability to reproduce, on his own, the sound of a small group.

McKenna liked to create medleys around a common word or theme in song titles.

He often combined ballads and up-tempo songs with standards, pop tunes, blues, and TV themes and folk songs.

2008

McKenna died on October 18, 2008, in State College, Pennsylvania at the age of 78 from lung cancer.

With Ed Bickert

With Urbie Green

With Teddi King

With Zoot Sims