Dave McKenna

Dave McKenna (30 May 1930 – 18 October 2008, Woonsocket, Rhode Island) was a jazz pianist. He was known for his "three-handed swing" and was a leading proponent of solo piano style. Starting out at the age of 15, McKenna played with Boots Mussulli (1947), Charlie Ventura (1949) and Woody Herman's Orchestra (1950-51). He then spent two years in the military, and re-joined Ventura (1953-54). He worked with a variety of top swing and Dixieland music... more

Dave McKenna (30 May 1930 – 18 October 2008, Woonsocket, Rhode Island) was a jazz pianist. He was known for his "three-handed swing" and was a leading proponent of solo piano style. Starting out at the age of 15, McKenna played with Boots Mussulli (1947), Charlie Ventura (1949) and Woody Herman's Orchestra (1950-51). He then spent two years in the military, and re-joined Ventura (1953-54). He worked with a variety of top swing and Dixieland musicians including Gene Krupa, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Bob Wilbur, Eddie Condon, and Bobby Hackett but became primarily a soloist after 1967, especially in the Northeast United States. McKenna performed with Louis Armstrong at the 1970 Newport Jazz Festival. He started to be recognised in his own right during the 1970s, but chose to play in his local area rather than travel extensively. He preferred playing in clubs and hotels to getting center stage in major venues. He could be found playing in hotel piano bars in Massachusetts, including... less