Artist description Bassist on "Urban Grooves", by Elliot Levine, and on "Spur of the Moment" by virtuoso drummer, Larry Bright. Kenny Wright has 2 nationally released albums that have heavy airplay on DMX (Digital Music Express). The album, "Fresh Focus" features Larry Bright on drums. The tunes "1964" and "Five or Six" receive major regional airplay. UPDATE: Kenny Wright is currently appearing in 2 major motion pictures: The Replacements w/Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman, and The Replacements w/Melanie Griffith and Stephen Dorf (directed by John Waters).

Music Style Contemporary Jazz/Jazz Fusion

Musical Influences Marcus Miller

Similar Artists Marcus Miller

Artist History Kenny Wright Bassist Extrodinaire The multi dimensional talents of bassist Kenny Wright have seen him work as a bassist with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Michael White , Rufus Thomas, The Midnight Movers , The Whispers, Roger Collins, Richard Dimples Fields, Gino Washington and a host of others. He has also distinguished himself as a bandleader and showman with his group opening shows for Glady’s Knight, Kim Waters, Walter Beasley and others. Kenny has also produced and composed the music on four solo CD’s which have garnered critical acclaim and heavy airplay. Several of his compositions have reached number one status on internet mp3 sites in the U.S, Great Britain and Italy.

Instruments Sixstring Bass Guitar

Albums Comin at Ya, Fresh Focus, Bottle of Wine

Press Reviews Jazz Times: When bassist/composer Kenny Wright aspires to the promise of this album's title, Fresh Focus, the resulting songs are like odd-shaped pieces of a puzzle which should fit, but don't. His "The Waterbearer Revisited" achieves just that in an off-timed blaze of running hi-hat percussion and piano. "Five or Six" is a funky alto and tenor sex duet which finds its groove by way of an unusual, fragmented Carl Filipiak guitar solo. Though much of the album consists of more straightforward mid-tempo selections, these gems, as well as the stacatto bass exploration "A Bass Thing" and the multi-tiered "The Line-Up" show that this talented composer has the potential for much more. Record Reactions: On this brilliant debut, bassist Kenny Wright illustrates that it's possible to keep the bandleader's instrument out of the foreground (talk about a resigned ego), while at he same time making sure that the groove is the most important thing. In other words, you'd expect a bassist to showcase his slap and pluck prowess above all else; melody and ensemble instrumentation taking a back seat to his Kincaid Custom thump. But on Fresh Focus, Wright's rhythmic dimensions (along with drummer Larry Bright's thunderous patterns) are the propulsive fuel for an arsenal of titan-size jazz rockets such as guitarist Carl Filipiak, alto/soprano sax master Hassan Sabre, pianist Charlie Etzel, and better than a half-dozen other masterful instrumentalists. The basslines are intricate, but never overpowering, and Wright's flair for composition turns a studio full of soloists into an opportunity for musical expansion of harmonic boundaries. What a surprise that it takes a bass player to put together a disc of grooves that not only provides solid support for soloists, but also holds your interest. In fact, it's not until the disc's fifth tract, the aptly-titled "A Bass Thing", that we get a free-form-feeling taste of a four-string practice session. It is here, and only here, that Wright worries more about virtuosity that melodicism. Prior to (and following) "Thing", the listener is swayed, swung, improv'd, and impressed by a dazzlingly sophisticated platform. The gentle, relaxing pace of "Angela" evokes a film noir ambiance with Sabre's soprano sax curling around it like a late night fog. "Krystal" launches from a free-form intro, and the combo's stretch out finds sharp guitar shards trading salvos with a busy pair of piano hands. "The Waterbearer Revisited" percolates with reckless abandon, changing gears (and time signatures) like a Nine-Eleven on the Autobahn. The tune's tempo is bent back on itself as heavenly celeste tinkling ricochets off of vigorous piano lines and a downright rockin' guitar riff. Fresh Focus simply touches all the bases. Other Tracks, such as "Kymberlie's Promise" and "The Line-Up", are equally varied and just as rewarding. "Kymberlie's Promise" never fully delivers on its Latin promise, but delivers enough seasoning for a spicy whiff. "The Line-Up" hints at a full-fledged jam session, but avoids being chaotic thanks to the horn section coming together over the funky rhythm strut. A quick shift to a walking ramble, piano and percussion at the front, and the original melody line slides back in as gracefully as if it's never been away. Throw in the funky lean of "Belushi" and the supper-club fare of "Blue Tuesday", and this set is quite simply a well-rounded, aural delight.

Location Baltimore, MD - USA

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