Kenny Pore
Finding the source of his musical ideas
Kenny Pore's uniquely American musical journey takes another large step toward his goal of personal maturity with this collection of CDs. His journey has been rough-edged at times and it has been filled with elements familiar to generations of restless young people in both literature and reality: a gritty path through life chosen by an eager and hungry high school drop-out, searching urgently for something he hardly understood himself. The search encompassed far more than merely a quest for his musical vision; it led Kenny to his appreciation today of the value of family ties and friendships, to the fundamentals of a balanced life. But in another sense, Kenny came to see eventually that the search itself was in part the prize, a rich source of his musical ideas. Such an experience has been shared by many artists —— prose writers, painters, poets, sculptors —— all of them gaining strength from the good and bad times. In Kenny's case, it provided him, and the rest of us who relish his work, with the basis for a musical legacy that is gaining in reputation. This CD collection is certain to increase the pace of the recognition his work deserves.
The journey starts
Kenny Pore was born into a musical family on a cold mid-winter's day in Chicago, Illinois, in 1952. His grandfather was one of the original craftsmen making Gibson guitars in Kalamazoo, Michigan. His stepfather, Jimmy Zitano, was a jazz drummer in Al Hirt's band and had worked at various times with Cannonball Adderley, Billie Holiday and Miles Davis. The family stereo was always spinning swing jazz, Coltrane and the like. To hear his rock records, Kenny had to retreat to his room to play them on a cheap player with pennies taped to the arm so that the needle wouldn't skip. Your stuff will distort the speakers on the stereo, his stepfather told him. With his stepfather playing in clubs and his mother working late as a cocktail waitress, Kenny's house attracted a lot of his buddies who brought their instruments over to jam. It also attracted the police —— because neighbors complained about the noise.
Kenny Pore's uniquely American musical journey takes another large step toward his goal of personal maturity with this collection of CDs. His journey has been rough-edged at times and it has been filled with elements familiar to generations of restless young people in both literature and reality: a gritty path through life chosen by an eager and hungry high school drop-out, searching urgently for something he hardly understood himself. The search encompassed far more than merely a quest for his musical vision; it led Kenny to his appreciation today of the value of family ties and friendships, to the fundamentals of a balanced life. But in another sense, Kenny came to see eventually that the search itself was in part the prize, a rich source of his musical ideas. Such an experience has been shared by many artists —— prose writers, painters, poets, sculptors —— all of them gaining strength from the good and bad times. In Kenny's case, it provided him, and the rest of us who relish his work, with the basis for a musical legacy that is gaining in reputation. This CD collection is certain to increase the pace of the recognition his work deserves.
The journey starts
Kenny Pore was born into a musical family on a cold mid-winter's day in Chicago, Illinois, in 1952. His grandfather was one of the original craftsmen making Gibson guitars in Kalamazoo, Michigan. His stepfather, Jimmy Zitano, was a jazz drummer in Al Hirt's band and had worked at various times with Cannonball Adderley, Billie Holiday and Miles Davis. The family stereo was always spinning swing jazz, Coltrane and the like. To hear his rock records, Kenny had to retreat to his room to play them on a cheap player with pennies taped to the arm so that the needle wouldn't skip. Your stuff will distort the speakers on the stereo, his stepfather told him. With his stepfather playing in clubs and his mother working late as a cocktail waitress, Kenny's house attracted a lot of his buddies who brought their instruments over to jam. It also attracted the police —— because neighbors complained about the noise.
YOU DON'T KNOW ME
WALKING WITH YOU
MY HEART KNOWS
LIFE WITHIN
THOUGHTS OF YOU
KNOW THAT YOUR HEART IS RIGHT
DIANNA
WALKING WITH YOU
MY HEART KNOWS
LIFE WITHIN
THOUGHTS OF YOU
KNOW THAT YOUR HEART IS RIGHT
DIANNA
