Carl Kennedy
About
Carl Kennedy is a Chicago-based pianist and composer who has built a diverse musical career crossing between jazz, soul, fusion, folk and classical traditions. Drawing from his well-rounded skill set, Carl is sought-after for his emotionally expressive playing and original compositions. He has played venues all over the country including the John F. Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts, The Millennium Park Jay Pritzker Pavilion, South By Southwest Music Festival, Summerfest, and countless others.
Carl has been the leader of the Carl Kennedy Trio and Carl Kennedy Large Ensemble. These projects feature all original music and have performed regularly in Chicago since 2013. The Carl Kennedy Trio’s debut album, American Lullaby, will be released in 2019. In this project, Kennedy teams up with bassist Daniel Thatcher and drummer Andrew Green to bring a chamber music aesthetic to the traditional jazz piano trio. As a sideman, Carl has been a member of Bassel & The Supernaturals, Jonas Friddle and The Majority, Paul Dietrich Jazz Ensemble, Spocket and many others.
I utilize a repertoire based method for teaching jazz and improvisation. The best ways to access the skills and techniques necessary to play and improvise well is through the music itself. I work students thoroughly through each tune allowing them to learn all elements of the music that transfer directly to other tunes in that style.
Bachelor of Music in Theory/Composition from Lawrence University - Master of Music in Jazz Composition from The DePaul School of Music - Current Faculty at St. Xavier University
