Kenny Crane is a professional trombonist and educator from New York City.

IKenny Crane is a professional trombonist and educator from New York City.In his early 20s he left the Berklee College of Music to perform on the road playing trombone and tuba. He was a touring member of the big bands of Maynard Ferguson, Clark Terry and Buddy Rich. He backed up such singers as Frank Sinatra, (both Sr. and Jr), Mel Torme, Nancy Wilson, Sammy Davis Jr., Natalie Cole, Johnny Mathis, Wayne Newton, Bobby Vinton, Manhattan Transfer and more. He recorded with English pop legend Howard Jones and appeared at the Kool Jazz Festival with Howard McGee. Kenny has been heard in the bands of Howard Johnson and Gravity Jazz Tuba Ensemble, The Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Byron Stripling and Slide Hampton ‘s World of Trombones.

 

Since moving upstate, Kenny can be heard throughout Western New York in a variety of settings from symphonies to small jazz groups and educational settings; Most notably performing with the Chautauqua Symphony, Bemus Bay Pops Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic and the big bands of Gap Mangione and Don Menza.

 

Kenny has taught instrumental music for over 20 years, he is currently teaching at Portville Central School. He has served as an adjunct professor of jazz, contemporary music theory and low brass at Houghton College, Jamestown Community College-Cattaraugus Campus and the Eastman School of Music.

 

Dr. Crane holds a BM in trombone performance from Nyack College, M.M. in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and most recently receiving his D.M.A. In Jazz Studies at the Eastman School of Music.