Ken Rhodes
Pianist/Composer, Jazz and More
KEN RHODES - Biography
Born August 14, 1945 (V.J. Day) in Memphis, Tenn. Raised in the Chicago suburb of LaGrange, Ill. Ken, after barely surviving High School earned the BM in piano (studying with William Browning) and MM in composition (studying with Irwin Fischer, Max Sinzheimer and some jazz piano with Eddy Baker) at Chicago's American Conservatory of Music. (now defunct after 125 years). Following the Master's worked on the DMA in composition at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music. (Studying with Scott Huston, Jeno Takacs and Paul Cooper). While studying Cincinnati he had a full Scholarship and Assistantship as composer/arranger for the Bearcat band and Jazz Ensemble. Winning best arranger/composer award at the Collegiate Jazz Festival in 1969.
Ken had a Jazz trio all through high school. Influences were Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal and may others, including Monk. Concerts and early gigs in the suburbs and summer resort gigs in South Haven, MI and Delavan, WI. A "real" jazz coffee house Gig at the "Café La Motif" while in High School and early years at the American Conservatory provided chances to play with some older Chicago musicians, including John Klemmer and Jack DeJohnette. Then many gigs in Chicago "Old Town" along Wells Street, continuing to study classical piano by day and earning money with (hopefully) jazz at night. A long steady trio gig at "the Hungry Eye" among other night clubs was very enlightening, playing with Steve McCall, Steve Gatsby (a roommate as well) and Scotty Holt and many, many others. A big thrill was playing several gigs with Monk's bassist Wilbur Ware. Friendship with Judy Roberts and other Chicago well-known artists continued until leaving for Cincinnati in 1965. There he established a Jazz trio and played with many Cincinnati area musicians, including John Van Ohlen, Michael Scharf, Art Gore, Lynn Seaton and Lou Laushe. A long steady gig at "Hoagy's Candelight near the Clifton campus was important. The jazz program at U.C., (before Jazz Studies degrees,), brought the Great Gerry Mulligan to campus for an extended Master Class. While there he used Ken on several non U.C. mid-western quartet gigs and TV appearances. Also became a personal friend and passenger in Ken's cherished Truimph GT-6.(before electronic keyboards a piano player could just split the gig, maybe with the girl singer in tow, while the other cats had to pack up-now it's frequently the other way round!) Frequent gigs at the "Blue Wisp" and many other Cincinnati area venues followed until leaving for Augsburg, Germany in 1969. (Had a high number in the Draft lottery system of that time).
Originally having letters of introduction from Prof. Cooper's-brother- in- law Peter Ebert, of Augsburg and Theater Director (Intendant) there, Ken auditioned for a chance vacant position of "Korepititor"(rehearsal pianist) and was hired, with a 3 year contract. Frequent jazz gigs in nearby Munich and many other Bavarian localities increased allowing the "poor" Struggling "gastarbeiter" to survive and eventually learn fluent German. Also a first LP there (Ken Rhodes Trio "Profile" Amayana records A 4501) was recorded, using many originals, with Joachim ‘Rocky" Knauer, bass and George Greene, drums-still available on the internet! Already playing in Munich's legendary Jazz club "Domicile" and with many German-based expartriot and European jazz musicians (Dusko Goykovich, Jimmy Woode and others too numerous to mention) Ken was appointed "Kapellmeister des Schauspiels" for the larger theater of Nueremburg with a 2 year contract during a transition period for that well known German (Fraconian) municipal theater. An unusual opportunity for a non-citizen, a fascinating job..
Already deep into the German and Bavarian jazz scene , with appearances in Hamburg's "Onkel Po" and "Fabrik", radio recordings with many visiting jazz artists like Bob Wilbur (in the Wolfgang Schlueter sextet and Dusko Goykovich Quintet and others)a trio tour of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, Pianist for the "Munchener Big Band" of the Bavarian Radio (Hans Hammerschmidt and Dusko Goykovich co-leaders) at the end of the contract with the City of Nueremberg Ken moved to the Bavarian capitol, Munich, with an apartment in Schwabing, of course.( playing Chess with neighbor Mal Waldron-never winning a game!) There many non-jazz jobs followed (Bavarian National Drama Theater-Residenz, pianist for Austrian pop-star Udo Juergens and (a favorite) Music director for the famed "Muenchener Lach und Schiess Gesellschaft") working with TV stars and Kaberett artists like Dieter Hildebrandt and Dr. Werner Scheyder. (comparable to Chicago's "Second City"), and even a film project ("Bayerische Shoenheits Koeingin") which won the director the national prize for young filmmakers. ("Bundesfilmfoerderungspries").
Recordings continued for Amyana, (Sinto, "Sonho Negro" Amayana A 4506) for leader Hannes Beckmann. Also touring with Amayana group "Music Communtiy" (Lee Harper,Trpt, Frank St. Peter, as,Hermann Breuer, Trm. Rocky Knauer, bass and leader Alex Bally, drums) Regretfully leaving Germany and Europe, Ken returned home to Cincinnati and the dormant DMA program, with an assistantship, under Dr. Norman Dinerstein, teaching theory/composition for undergraduate music majors and non-majors. (a planned 2 year sojourn had turned into a decade-1970 to 1980).
After professor Dinerstein's tragic early death, Ken withdrew from the Doctoral program and continued to work in Cincinnati. A long steady trio gig at the "Celestial” restaurant in Eden Park and many other area gigs followed.
Highlights include 2 weeks jobs singer Mark Murphy and Tenor sax legend Sonny Stitt (in Dayton). Forced by the non-life threatening medical condition-too much beer-Ken returned to the South and Duke Medical Center for successful major surgery in 1988. Wanting to "start over" Ken began playing gigs in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area, and eventually also the Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point, Piedmont Triad of North Carolina. Moving to Winston-Salem for an eventual 8 year steady gig(jazz trio) in Hight Point at Noble's gourmet bistro and jazz cellar., Ken made 2 well received independent CDs. (Jazz at Nobles's and Noble Cause). Also a job opening at the University of North Carolina's unique "School of the Arts" in Winston-Salem became available and Ken auditioned and was hired as adjunct musician for the School of Drama. Later a "permanent part-time" staff position as "Dance accompanist” became vacant. After 2 auditions Ken was hired. There now for over 10 years, Ken had made many local CDs as music director or sideman in the Carolina Jazz scene. (Al Neese, Joe Robinson, Chris Murrell, Brenda Morie, Gregg Gelb etc.) and made a Live concert CD, "Ken Rhodes Trio, live at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art" (Sea Breeze Jazz-SB 3045). At this writing Ken continues at the School of Dance and is in production for the planned cd "Ken Rhodes Trio" quintet and Big Band-‘Peace Chant”. Recent gigs have included Avant/Pop Trumpeter Tom Browne at D.C. "Blues Alley” and Durham, The Woody Herman band under Frank Tiberi and other local and regional projects. The Ken Rhodes Trio (Matt Kendrick, bass and John Wilson, drums are a well known fixture in Winston-Salem, where they give concerts and frequently appear at the fine Jazz club, "Speakeasy Jazz and Tapas bar", across from the School of the Art's main performance facility, the "Stevens Center" on 4th Street.