Kenny Wessel

Kenny Wessel, a versatile, sensitive and soulful guitarist and composer, has performed in 28 countries. He toured with revolutionary jazz artist Ornette Coleman for over 12 years as a member of Prime Time, Ornette’s groundbreaking ensemble. Kenny can be heard on Coleman’s CD, Tone Dialing. Performing Ornette’s “Skies of America,” Wessel has appeared with Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic and London’s Philharmonia Orchestra. A vital and personal voice on the jazz guitar, he has also worked with Donald Fagen (featured guitar soloist on Fagen’s Morph the Cat), David Liebman, John Abercrombie, Karl Berger, Joe Lovano, Debbie Harry, Laurie Anderson, Gloria Lynne, Adam Rudolph and many others from the jazz, pop and world music spectrum.

Ken has a strong interest in world music, particularly with North Indian music, and he has performed with Debashish Bhattacharya, Karaikudi Mani, V.M. Bhatt, Samir Chatterjee, Adam Rudolph, Karl Berger, Steve Gorn and others. Wessel’s trio with jazz tabla master Badal Roy, released Daybreak, which was one of JAZZIZ magazine’s Top 10 Critic’s Picks. Ken and Badal toured India and the U.S. with their composition, “Testimony,” which was commissioned by the Battery Dance Company.

Wessel has 4 CDs out as a leader or co-leader, including his most recent recording, “In the Briar Patch” which was released September 1, 2023 on Nonotes Records. His CD, Weights & Measures received 4 stars in Downbeat magazine. As a U.S. Jazz Ambassador, Ken has toured South Asia and South America, visiting India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bengladesh and Venezuela.

A dedicated jazz educator, Wessel currently teaches at Western Connecticut State University, City College of New York, Manhattan School of Music, in addition to leading ensembles at the New York Jazz Workshop. He also gives clinics and workshops around the world and has taught at universities and festivals, including:  Oslo Music Academy, ICSMS Festival (Istanbul, Turkey), Mahaidol University (Bangkok), Yale University, World Economic Forum (Davos, Switzerland), Jazz Educators Network Convention, Atlanta, GA, Creative Music Studio (New York), and many others.

Website:  www.kenwessel.com