Kenny Washington (born May 29, 1958) is an American jazz drummer and music writer born in Staten Island, New York. His brother is bassist Reggie Washington.
He grew up in the Stapleton Houses and attended P.S. 14. He studied at The High School of Music & Art, graduating in 1976. He has worked with Ronnie Mathews, Lee Konitz, Betty Carter, Johnny Griffin, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, George Cables, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Ahmad Jamal, Sonny Stitt, James Spaulding, Phil Woods, Bill Charlap, Bobby Watson, Curtis Lundy, and Tommy Flanagan. Washington serves on the faculty of SUNY Purchase and The Juilliard School. Washington's essays on contemporary and historical jazz figures have been featured in numerous jazz album releases and reissues.
Contents
Discography
As sideman
With Ruby Braff
Cape Codfather (Arbors, 2000)
In the Wee, Small Hours in London and New York (Arbors, 2000)
Music for the Still of the Night (Arbors, 2001)
With Joshua Breakstone
Self-Portrait in Swing (Contemporary, 1989)
9 by 3 (Contemporary, 1991)
Walk Don't Run (King, 1992)
This Just In (Double-Time, 1999)
With Kenny Burrell
Generation (Blue Note, 1987)
Pieces of Blue and the Blues (Blue Note, 1988)
With George Cables
Cables Fables (SteepleChase, 1991)
With Benny Carter
Harlem Renaissance (MusicMasters, 1992)
With Bill Charlap
All Through the Night (Criss Cross, 1998)
Written in the Stars (Blue Note, 2000)
S'Wonderful (Venus, 2002)
Stardust (Blue Note, 2002)
Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein (Blue Note, 2004)
Plays George Gershwin: The American Soul (Blue Note, 2005)
Live at the Village Vanguard (Blue Note, 2007)
The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, Tony Bennett/Bill Charlap (Columbia/Sony Music, 2015)
Notes from New York (Impulse!, 2016)
Uptown, Downtown (Impulse!, 2017)
Street of Dreams (Blue Note, 2021)
And Then Again (Blue Note, 2024)
With Teddy Edwards and Houston Person
Horn to Horn (Muse, 1996) – recorded in 1994
Close Encounters (HighNote, 1999) – recorded in 1994
With Dizzy Gillespie
Bird Songs: The Final Recordings (Telarc, 1992)
To Diz with Love (Telarc, 1992)
To Bird with Love (Telarc, 1992)
With Benny Green
The Place To Be (Blue Note, 1994)
With Buck Hill
The Buck Stops Here (Muse, 1992)
With Plas Johnson and Red Holloway
Keep That Groove Going! (Milestone, 2001)
With Randy Johnston
Walk On (Muse, 1992)
With Etta Jones
My Buddy: Etta Jones Sings the Songs of Buddy Johnson (HighNote, 1998)
All the Way (HighNote, 1999)
With Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz Nonet (Chiaroscuro, 1977)
Jazz Nocturne (Venus/Evidence, 1994)
With Jimmy McGriff
Feelin' It (Milestone, 2001)
With Jane Monheit
In the Sun (2002)
Live at the Rainbow Room (2003)
With Mingus Dynasty
Live at the Village Vanguard (1984)
Mingus' Sounds of Love (1988)
Reincarnation (1997)
With Ralph Moore
Round Trip (Reservoir, 1985 [1987])
Images (Landmark, 1989)
Furthermore (Landmark, 1990)
With David "Fathead" Newman
Davey Blue (HighNote, 2002)
With Hod O'Brien
Ridin' High (1990)
So That's How It Is (1998)
Live at Blues Alley: First Set (2005)
Live at Blues Alley: Second Set (2006)
Live at Blues Alley: Third Set (2007)
With Houston Person
Person-ified (HighNote, 1997)
My Romance (HighNote, 1998)
With Melvin Rhyne
The Legend (1991)
Boss Organ (1993)
Mel's Spell (1996)
Stick to the Kick (1997)
Kojo (1999)
Classmasters (2000)
Tomorrow Yesterday Today (2004)
With Wallace Roney
Munchin' (Muse, 1993)
Crunchin' (Muse, 1993)
With Charlie Rouse
Social Call (Uptown, 1984) with Red Rodney
With Randy Sandke
Awakening (1998)
Cliffhanger (2003)
The Subway Ballet (2006)
With James Spaulding
Brilliant Corners (Muse, 1988)
Escapade (HighNote, 1999)
With Larry Willis
Just in Time (SteepleChase, 1989)
With Mike LeDonne
Bout Time (Criss Cross, 1988)
The Feeling Of Jazz (Criss Cross, 1989)
Common Ground (Criss Cross, 1990
Waltz For An Urbanite (Criss Cross, 1994)
The Heavy Hitters (Cellar Live, 2023)
That's What's Up, The Heavy Hitters Live (Cellar Live, 2024)
With Michael Weiss
Presenting Michael Weiss (Criss Cross, 1986)
With others
1983: Call It Whachawana, Johnny Griffin (Galaxy)
1983: Two at the Top, Frank Wess and Johnny Coles (Uptown)
1983: Beatitudes, Bobby Watson and Curtis Lundy (New Note)
1985: Means of Identification, Valery Ponomarev (Reservoir)
1987: Just Be Yourself, Curtis Lundy (New Note)
1988: Superblue, Superblue (Blue Note)
1989: Here's to My Lady, Phil Woods
1989: Jazz Poet, Tommy Flanagan
1989: My Man Benny, My Man Phil, Benny Carter and Phil Woods (MusicMasters)
1989: Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt Paris, Dameronia (Soul Note, 1994)
1991: What's New, Walter Bishop Jr. (DIW)
1991: Live at the Village Gate, Clark Terry
1992: Ann Hampton Callaway, Ann Hampton Callaway
1992: I Remember Clifford, Arturo Sandoval
1992: Crazy for You, John Hicks (Red Baron)
1992: Downtown Sounds, Grant Stewart (Criss Cross)
1993: Caracas, Lou Donaldson
1993: Joshua Redman, Joshua Redman
1995: Burnin' in the Woodhouse, Milt Jackson
1996: Gravity!!!, Howard Johnson and Gravity
1997: Back in New York, Doug Raney
1998: First Insight, Jesse Davis
1999: Le Grand Freddy, Freddy Cole
2000: Blue Suite, Gary Smulyan
2000: Excursions, Jim Rotondi
2001: Feelin' It, Jimmy McGriff
2001: The Promise Land, Cedar Walton (HighNote)
2005: Back in New York, Scott Hamilton
2005: Mean What You Say, Eddie Daniels
2007: Ain't Necessarily So, Andy Bey
2008: Boss Bones, Wycliffe Gordon
2009: A Quiet Time, Ahmad Jamal
2010: For the Love of You, Joe Locke
2019: The Music Never Stops, Betty Carter - recorded in 1992
2021: Samara Joy, Samara Joy
2023: A Joyful Holiday, Samara Joy