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Kenny Rankin

In a remarkable recording career that spans three and a half decades, Kenny Rankin has established an impressive set of creative credentials, as an insightful songwriter, a distinctive guitarist and, above all, a world-class singer possessing an uncanny ability to cut straight to a song's emotional heart.

While his supple, pristine tenor has earned him status as a singer's singer, Rankin's songwriting talents have been widely recognized by his peers. For example, his "In the Name of Love" inspired a memorable version by Peggy Lee, while his "Haven't We Met" has been cut by a number of jazz and pop artists including Carmen McRae and Mel Torme. Other Rankin compositions have been covered by a diverse assortment of artists.

Growing up in the multicultural hotbed of New York's Washington Heights neighborhood, he absorbed a broad array of musical influences, from AfroCuban to Top 40 to Jazz to Brazilian. But he traces his emergence as a performer to a specific childhood epiphany. "I was in the fourth grade and sang 'O Holy Night' in a Christmas play," he recalls. "My teacher, Miss Isabel Pringle, came over to me and patted me on the head and said 'Kenneth, that was lovely.' She set me on the path in music that I find myself on today."

As a teenager, the budding artist signed with Decca Records and released a handful of singles. A few years later, he signed with Columbia Records, and found himself playing guitar on Bob Dylan's landmark 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. Not long after, he performed on The Tonight Show, whose host Johnny Carson became such a fan that Kenny was ultimately invited to appear on the show more than 20 times. Carson even contributed liner notes to Rankin's 1967 debut LP Mind Dusters, which introduced his much-covered pop standard "Peaceful." That album's mix of original tunes and outside material would continue to yield rewarding results on such subsequent releases as Family, Like a Seed, and Inside.

Rankin's 1975 album Silver Morning featured a popular reworking of The Beatles' "Blackbird" that so impressed Paul McCartney that he asked Rankin to represent himself and John Lennon when they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. 1976's much-acclaimed The Kenny Rankin Album was recorded live in the studio, and teamed the singer with a 60-piece orchestra arranged and conducted by the legendary Don Costa to create what many now consider the first contemporary "torch" album; Rankin and Costa continued their collaboration on 1980's After the Roses.

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1,508
Interview

Kenny Rankin: From the Heart

Read "Kenny Rankin: From the Heart" reviewed by R.J. DeLuke


Kenny Rankin died of lung cancer on June 7th, 2009. This interview was conducted in July 2002. He sings with a fluid ease, whether it's a standard like “The Very Thought of You," the Beatles “Blackbird," a Latin-flavored “Berimbau," or his own “In the Name of Love." His soft voice caresses the most delicate phrases and gallops at fast tempos. But always, there is the twist of a phrase, taking a line somewhere unexpected, but inspired; a ...

128
Album Review

Kenny Rankin: A Song for You

Read "A Song for You" reviewed by Dave Nathan


Veteran vocalist Kenny Rankin, in my opinion, has been variously misclassified, misassigned in terms of where he belongs as a performer for far too long. The knee jerk reaction to his material, on record and in concert, is that he was more a soft rock singer than a singer/songwriter, with occasional performance references to entries from the Great American Songbook. But even a cursory look at the play list of many of his albums doesn't support that assessment. Even those ...

413
Album Review

Kenny Rankin: Here in My Heart

Read "Here in My Heart" reviewed by Dave Hughes


It seems like every jazz artist (and even some pseudo-jazz artists) is destined to record at least one Brasilian music album during their career. Here's singer/songwriter Kenny Rankin's entry into this well-trodden field.

Everything about this disc looks like it should be great. There's a remarkable cast of players from both Americas. From Brasil, we have producer Oscar Castro-Neves, Luis Bonfa, Teo Lima, Gilson Peranzzetta, Ricardo Silveira, and many more. From the U.S., there's Don Grusin, Brian Bromberg, Michael Brecker, ...

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Website

Kenny Rankin "Silver Morning" Listening Party at All About Jazz

Kenny Rankin "Silver Morning" Listening Party at All About Jazz

Source: Michael Ricci

AAJ is celebrating the digitally re-mastered release of six Kenny Rankin albums with a Silver Morning Listening Party.

Enjoy!

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Music Industry

Out Today--6 Titles by Late Singer-Songwriter Kenny Rankin on Sly Dog Records

Out Today--6 Titles by Late Singer-Songwriter Kenny Rankin on Sly Dog Records

Source: DL Media

Four Titles Digitally Re-Mastered From Original Tapes Today, the Mack Avenue label imprint Sly Dog Records releases six titles by singer-songwriter Kenny Rankin (who died in Los Angeles from lung cancer on June 7, 2009 at 69); Mind-Dusters, Family, Like A Seed, Silver Morning, Inside, and The Kenny Rankin Album, at all popular retailers. The following four titles—Like A Seed, Silver Morning, Inside, The Kenny Rankin Album—have been pristinely re-mastered from the original analog tapes. Kenny's son, longtime music industry ...

188

Recording

Mack Avenue Imprint Sly Dog Records to Release 6 Titles by Late Singer-Songwriter Kenny Rankin

Mack Avenue Imprint Sly Dog Records to Release 6 Titles by Late Singer-Songwriter Kenny Rankin

Source: DL Media

MACK AVENUE RECORDS TO RELEASE SIX TITLES BY THE LATE SINGER-SONGWRITER KENNY RANKIN ON THE SLY DOG IMPRINT

Celebrating Kenny's 70th Birthday (February 10) MIND-DUSTERS FAMILY LIKE A SEED SILVER MORNING INSIDE THE KENNY RANKIN ALBUM Kenny Rankin came into the larger public consciousness in the early 1970s. It was the era of the singer-songwriter, and although he fit the profile, Rankin transcended that genre. ...

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Obituary

Kenny Rankin, Melder of Jazz and Pop, Dies at 69

Kenny Rankin, Melder of Jazz and Pop, Dies at 69

Source: Michael Ricci

Kenny Rankin, a singer, songwriter and guitarist whose easygoing style straddled the worlds of pop, jazz and folk, died on Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 69 and lived in Los Angeles. The cause was complications of lung cancer, his family said. Singing in a soft, lilting voice and accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, Mr. Rankin was often categorized as an introspective singer-songwriter in the James Taylor mold. But he drew inspiration from a wide range of sources: the Brazilian ...

285

Obituary

Singer-Songwriter Kenny Rankin Dead of Lung Cancer

Singer-Songwriter Kenny Rankin Dead of Lung Cancer

Source: All About Jazz

Kenny Rankin, a brilliant pop vocalist and highly regarded musician-songwriter whose stylings ranged from jazz to pop to the world music influences he picked up as a child in New York, has died of complications related to lung cancer, his record company announced Monday. He was 69. Rankin died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Mack Avenue Records spokesman Don Lucoff said. The musician, who first gained acclaim as one of the guitarists on Bob Dylan's landmark 1965 album, “Bringing it ...

179

Obituary

Kenny Rankin Dies at 69; Singer-Songwriter's Long Career Almost Defied Categorization

Kenny Rankin Dies at 69; Singer-Songwriter's Long Career Almost Defied Categorization

Source: Michael Ricci

A well-regarded guitarist, he wrote the hit song 'Peaceful' for Helen Reddy and played in Bob Dylan's backup band on the influential 1965 album 'Bringing It All Back Home.' Kenny Rankin, a singer-songwriter and musician whose song “Peaceful" was a hit for Helen Reddy and who had popular covers himself of a pair of Beatles hits, has died. He was 69. Rankin died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The cause of death, according to his management company, ...

200

Obituary

Kenny Rankin Singer-Songwriter's Long Career Almost Defied Categorization Dies

Kenny Rankin Singer-Songwriter's Long Career Almost Defied Categorization Dies

Source: Michael Ricci

A well-regarded guitarist, he wrote the hit song 'Peaceful' for Helen Reddy and played in Bob Dylan's backup band on the influential 1965 album 'Bringing It All Back Home.'

Kenny Rankin, a singer-songwriter and musician whose song “Peaceful" was a hit for Helen Reddy and who had popular covers himself of a pair of Beatles hits, has died. He was 69.

Rankin died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The cause of death, according to his management company, ...

179

Recording

Two Classic Kenny Rankin Recordings Reissued; Silver Morning and the Kenny Rankin Album

Two Classic Kenny Rankin Recordings Reissued;  Silver Morning and the Kenny Rankin Album

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH ON-LINE RETAILER CD BABY Two of Kenny Rankin's seminal recordings, 1975's Silver Morning and 1976's The Kenny Rankin Album, long sought-after by collectors, are now available on CD exclusively through CDBaby.com. This release marks the first time Silver Morning has been available on CD. Silver Morning is regarded as one of Rankin's finest recordings in a career that spans over three decades. Critic Steve Matteo called it “one of the best and most representative albums of that ...

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Performance / Tour

Kenny Rankin Appearing At The Iridium Jazz Club November 9-12

Kenny Rankin Appearing At The Iridium Jazz Club November 9-12

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

KENNY RANKIN THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NOVEMBER 9-12 APPEARING AT THE IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB 1650 BROADWAY (Corner of 51st) NEW YORK, NY 10023 RESERVATIONS: 212-582-2121 http://www.iridiumjazzclub.com/

Sets At 8:30 & 10:30PM

NO 3RD SET FRIDAY OR SATURDAY

The Iridium Jazz Club is pleased to present Kenny Rankin.

In a remarkable recording career that spans three and a half decades, Kenny Rankin has established ...

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

A Song For You

Verve Music Group
2002

buy

Here in My Heart

Private Music
1997

buy

Because Of You

Blue Note
1991

buy

Hiding In Myself

Blue Note
1988

buy

After The Roses

Blue Note
1980

buy

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