April 2002

Philly Jazz
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By Donald True Van Deusen

Kenny Werner, hailed by critics and fans as the wonder man of jazz piano, will be with his world famous trio at Chris' Jazz Cafe (215.568-3131) 1421 Sansom Street, Philadelphia tonight. Sets run from 9 p.m. to l a.m. for a $12 admission. Philadelphia¹s native son, Ari Hoenig, will be on drums and Johannes Weidenmueller on bass. Werner made his first CD with these terrifically talented sidemen in Paris in November 2000.

Hoenig is considered by club talent manager, Al McMahon, "as one of the finest, most in-demand drummers working today." Hoenig also worked with Shirley Scott, Gerry Mulligan and Mike Bern. Werner, born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1951 started at age 4 with a song and dance group, played concert piano in high school and has been blazing new trails in jazz piano since 1970 when he went to the Berklee School of Music. He recorded an LP featuring piano solos of Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, James P. Johnson and George Gershwin. He worked with Charles Mingus and toured with Archie Shepp. He joined the Mel Lewis Orchestra in 1984 and was commissioned to compose and conduct a memorial for Duke Ellington at St. John the Devine in New York.

Just a few of the jazz greats he worked with include: Bob Brookmeyer, Ron Carter, Joe Williams, Sonny Fortune, Lee Konitz, Marian McPartland, Eddie Gomez, Chico Freeman, Toots Thielemans and Joe Lovano. He has served as pianist, arranger and musical director for Broadway star, Betty Buckley. He won the Distinguished Artist Award for Composition from new Jersey Council of the Arts and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to present a concert in tribute to Mel Lewis.

His trio with bassist Ratzo Harris and drummer Tom Raine was called by Peter Watrous of the New York Times, "nearly miraculous." Werner said of his work with Hoenig and Weidenmueller, "This is the first time since Ratzo and Tom that I feel I am featuring a unique relationship, not just a trio." You can hear why tonight.