Jazz vocalist Kenny Washington has been called the "Superman" of the Bay Area jazz scene by the San Francisco Chronicle, but the soulful 61 year-old was largely unknown at the time of his visit to the KNKX Studios in 2018.
"He's a bit of a, if I may say this on radio, a bit of a homebody. Like, if he were all about the promotion and the getting out and being seen and stuff everyone in the world would know this guy," said saxophonist Anton Schwartz-Sacks, who performed with Washington at KNKX along with pianist Marc Seales, bassist Michael Glynn, and and drummer D'Vonne Lewis.
Washington was born and raised in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, but young Kenny was a bit sheltered. His dad didn't want him to venture across town to the raucous scene in the French Quarter.
"I grew up in the Lower Ninth Ward, which wasn't very far, but my daddy just wasn't a go out and explore kind of a person, right? Go to work and come home," Washington said. "So, yeah, it was a while into my young life before I even heard the sounds of the music in the French Quarter."
Washington eventually discovered a love for music and a place to start his career. He joined the U.S. Navy Jazz Band and got his first chance to sing for a living. Washington was in a full-time band, playing different kinds of music, traveling around the world.
"You're doing civilian gigs out in town, you know, public squares and hotel ballrooms, and you know, it was a great experience. I got to see places I never thought I'd see in my life," Washington said.
He left the Navy band and moved to California's Bay Area in the mid-'90s, where he narrowed down his musical focus to jazz. Washington explained that, like his jazz heroes, he isn't just a singer, he's an improvising member of the band.
"To sing jazz, the greatest example are the horn players, piano, the whole rhythm section. So if you're vocalizing, you want to think how they're playing and how they're phrasing, and you want to apply what they're doing vocally," he said.
Washington was making his public debut at The Royal Room in Seattle on this 2018 visit, but he hinted about another debut. He had just started working on his first studio album.
"I'm still working on that a little bit at a time. I like to share it, you know, reach out a little bit, so see what happens," he said.
Here's what happened: In 2020 at age 68, Washington released his debut studio album, What's the Hurry, to great acclaim.
Songs heard in this episode:
- "I Didn't Know What Time It Was"
- "Cry Me A River"
- "Come Rain or Come Shine"
