Kenny Reichert

Kenny Reichert is a Chicago-based guitarist, composer, and bandleader. An active presence in the Midwest jazz scene, he leads his own ensembles and is a founding member of the organ trio Righteous Rooster.

Reichert has released four albums as a leader, most recently Live In Chicago (Shifting Paradigm Records, 2026), featuring saxophonist Lenard Simpson, bassist Ethan Philion, and drummer Devin Drobka. The album captures a band developed over years of playing together, with Reichert's compositions providing a framework for collective improvisation. His previous releases include Switch (Calligram Records, 2024), Deep Breath (Shifting Paradigm Records, 2023), and Interpretations (2015).

DownBeat Magazine described Reichert as “a distinctive player and composer with wide-ranging idiomatic inklings,” while Textura called him a “triple threat” as a guitarist, bandleader, and writer. He was named a Luminarts Jazz Improvisation Fellow in 2022, and his work has received support from South Arts, the Illinois Arts Council, and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council.

Alongside his work as a leader, Reichert is a founding member of Righteous Rooster with organist Henry Dickhoff and drummer Luke Sagadin. The trio released its debut album, Fowl Play, in 2024 and has developed an expanding repertoire of original music built around the guitar-organ-drums format. Righteous Rooster holds a weekly late-night residency at Chicago's Green Mill, performing every Saturday from 1–4 AM.

Reichert also performs and records with guitarist and vocalist Sara d’Ippolito Reichert as Sara and Kenny. The jazz-folk duo has toured throughout the United States and Europe and has released music together since 2015.

Originally from Wisconsin, Reichert has lived and worked in Milwaukee, Boston, London, Berlin, Minneapolis, and Chicago. Long-running musical relationships have been central to his work, and he has performed and recorded with artists including Russ Johnson, Geof Bradfield, Lenard Simpson, Clark Sommers, Ethan Philion, Devin Drobka, and Ana Everling.

Reichert holds a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from DePaul University and has taught at Concordia University, St. Paul and Oklahoma State University. He also maintains a private guitar studio in Chicago and online. In addition to his work as a performer and recording artist, he composes and produces music for television and media, with placements including NFL GameDay Kickoff, NFL Fantasy Live, Temptation Island, Single's Inferno, and Blood & Water.

Kenny Reichert performs with Raezer’s Edge/SeQuel Amplifiers.

Awards

Luminarts Jazz Improvisation Fellow
South Arts Jazz Road
Illinois Arts Council
Metropolitan Regional Arts Council

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