About Kevin Mahogany
“Kevin Mahogany is fabulous. He’s got great ease on the stage and a great, great voice and a great presentation. It’s kind of like the older type guys. It’s sort of reminiscent of the Johnny Hartmans and people of the 40s, when there were a lot of great singers around.”
—Clint Eastwood
KEVIN MAHOGANY
With a rich baritone voice reminiscent of legends such as Johnny Hartman (d. 1983) and Joe Williams (d. 1999), Kevin Mahogany grew up, not as a singer, but playing clarinet and piano in his native Kansas City, Missouri. He was an accomplished baritone saxophonist by the age of 12.
Then came college. He established a jazz choir during his music studies at Baker University (BFA 1981) and from then the die was cast. “I’ve been on both sides, as an instrumentalist and vocalist. What I see the instrumentalist saying is, ‘If you’re going to be a vocalist you need to know what’s going on from my side.’” Clearly, Kevin knows.
• Newsweek – “…the standout jazz vocalist of his generation”
• New Yorker – “There is little Mahogany cannot do”
• Los Angeles Times – “…one of the first truly gifted male vocalists to emerge in years”
• USA Today – “Four stars”
• Downbeat magazine – Male Vocalist of the Year, 1998
Besides an extensive performance and recording schedule, Kevin teaches at the University of Miami.
See and hear Kevin Mahogany in concert
“Please Send Me Someone to Love”
The Northwest Prevailing Winds
Phil Kelly’s big band reflects his 40-plus years as one of America’s most gifted composer/arrangers. Besides creating charts for the likes of Doc Severinsen, Si Zentner, Peter Nero and Bill Watrous, he has been an arranger, conductor or drummer for Buddy Greco, Julius LaRosa, Frank D'Rone, Sylvia Syms, John Gary and Jenny Smith.
Kelly—who now lives in Bellingham—calls himself semi-retired. In reality, he stays busy as a much-sought-after clinician at various colleges and is a big band coach at the Bud Shank Centrum Jazz camp in Port Townsend.