Ken Skinner

From Wikipedia
Kenneth Skinner Jr. is a jazz pianist, head of the group Ken Skinner and the Jazzmongers. Ken Skinner Jr. was born in Montreal, Quebec June 28, 1962. His father Kenny Sr. (1932-2006) was also a very talented jazz pianist who is listed in a publication called The Who's Who of Jazz in Montreal written by John Gilmore. Ken Jr. studied briefly with Daisy Sweeney who is Oscar Peterson's sister (and can also claim Oscar's brother Chuck as a Godfather.)
Right from the very start Ken showed great promise and may have become a classical pianist had his parents not separated in 1971. Since the age of 15 Ken has been a composer from baroque guitar to jazz for ensemble. His pop writing has found its way into the hands of Ian McIntyre who has recorded several of Ken's compositions with his band "The Intentions". His compositions won numerous awards before he was 17 at a variety of music festivals.
His jazz recordings have showcased some of Toronto's and the world's finest jazz players who have included Bob Mover, Kirk MacDonald, Kevin Turcotte, Jake Wilkinson and Duncan Hopkins. As well Ken has sat in at jam sessions with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove and others.
His jazz material can be found on 2 CDs on the Village Jazz label, with inclusion on a compilation CD entitled "Kin Of Kensington" which celebrates the works of musicians living in or who have lived in Toronto's Kensington Market. Music included in 3 feature length films, 2 BRAVO! videos of his jazz material with numerous appearances on television and radio. During a period of activity in 1996 he worked rather closely with prima ballerina Kimberley Glasco of the National Ballet of Canada on two separate projects. This union led to Ken being selected as "Artist Of The Week" on the BRAVO! artschannel. His artwork has been exhibited in Toronto, with additional credits as a published cartoonist and journalist. In addition, you can see Ken for about 35 seconds in an Olsen twins movie called "It Takes Two" starring Kirstie Alley . Ken is also a contributing writer with Riverside Quarterly a magazine that features Toronto's east end Beaches music scene as well as Sway which is the first publication of its kind devoted to the black community here in Canada. (At least the first 4 colour glossy mag printed by TorStar.)
Ken is also featured on the CD "One Lucky Piano" with 16 of Canada's top pianists released by jazz.fm 91.1. This production was the brainchild of Jaymz Bee who thought it was a grand idea to have these pianists play on the piano that was housed at the now defunct "Montreal Bistro". Ken's composition "Littlebird Lied" was played while Ken was suffering from a broken left little finger.
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