Pianist Dave McKenna Was 78
A Fixture on the Boston Jazz Scene
By: Charles Giuliano - Oct 20, 2008
A bear of a man, we fondly recall Dave McKenna hovering over a grand piano evoking straight ahead versions of standards with that strong and driving left hand. His bass line was so solid that he is best remembered as a formidable solo artist. Much of that legacy is found on Concord Records which he joined in the 1970s.
McKenna was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island on May 30, 1930 and died of lung cancer, in State College, Pennsylvania on October 18.
As a teenager he performed with Boots Mussulli (1947), sax player Charlie Ventura (1949), and with the Woody Herman Orchestra (1950-51), After two years in the military he re-joined Ventura from 1953-54. After touring with many jazz artists- Gene Krupa, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Eddie Condon and Bobby Hackett- by 1967 he was performing primarily as a solo artist.
By mid career a life on the road became less appealing. He preferred to stay close to home performing primarily in the Boston/ New England area. I heard him regularly in the 1970s and 1980s during an era when there was a lively jazz scene in Boston. Mostly I came to McKenna through the enthusiasm of Ron Della Chiesa who, at that time, was known for his program Music America on WGBH-FM. I was an occasional guest on the show as Ron and I would spin some sides and reflect on the jazz and blues greats. He was a great fan of McKenna and would urge me to come and cover his gigs. There was also a great circuit of jazz clubs including the Jazz Workshop/ Paul's Mall on Boylston Street, Lennie's on the Turnpike, Lulu White's in the South End, and the Merry Go Round Room in the Copley Plaza Hotel.
There was a scene and it was a gas to hang with the cats and scoff some gumbo cooked by Chef Chandler at Lulu's.
When Clint closed the Merry Go Round it became reconfigured as the Copley Plaza Bar. The Merry Go Round Room, which featured a somewhat dizzying carousel on which the musicians slowly revolved, brought in many of the great singers and cabaret artists. In general the jazz scene was eroding and most of the clubs faded. Today, the Regatta Bar on the Allston side of the Charles River sustains that legacy.
With the reformatting of the Copley Plaza the concept was to bring in pianists like Ray Santisi, Dave McKenna, and Teddy Wilson for extended gigs. There was no cover and you could sit around the piano for some pops as they tickled the ivories. It was the prefect setting for the low key, no frills, straight no chaser style of McKenna.
Mostly Dave had an intense loyalty to lyrics. His strong and powerful mitts would sing the songs. His head would bop along in time with the music.
Those unique qualities made him more of a lounge player than an avant-gardist. So his trad approach led to being overlooked by all but a loyal following of fans with enormous respect for his integrity and grand style.
These were also perfect credentials as an accompanist for jazz singers. I will always treasure the occasion at the Copley Plaza when Tony Bennett and McKenna performed for a taping by WGBH-TV that was broadcast by PBS. It was a love fest as Dave's chords and subtle phrases mixed and matched with Bennett's uniquely breathy and evocative style. It was a pure joy to be up close for that stunning performance. That brought out the essence of the true spirit of cabaret. Peace and later big guy.