“Arlen’s music resonates profoundly with my musical sensibilities,” says Ken. “Arlen considered himself a jazz composer and wanted to be a vocalist himself. He was unique in that he was unafraid to break out of the standard 32-bar form.”
Another important influence on Ken was the voice of Judy Garland. “My fascination with Garland was her uncanny ability to musically shape a song while acting and telling a story. She demonstrated that a song has a beginning, middle and end.”
Ken grew up in Nassau County, on the south shore of Long Island, NY. Neither of his parents were musicians, but they noted early on their son’s fascination with music, theater, and dance.
“My earliest memories were when I was three” recalls Ken. “My mother told me that I used to dance in front of the TV, mesmerized by the sound of Kate Smith singing, ‘When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain.’”
Classically trained as a dancer and actor as well as a singer, Ken performed in a national tour of Singing in the Rain, played Billy Lawlor in 42nd Street, appeared as Luther Billis in South Pacific, and played opposite Nancy Kulp in an English murder mystery comedy. He sang with the Barry Levitt Trio at Iridium and at Birdland with Jim Caruso’s “Cast Party.”
Ken Greves made his solo debut as a vocalist in April 2000 at Don’t Tell Mama with his program, “Who the Hell Is Harold Arlen?!” Shortly thereafter, he encountered Trudi Mann and her open jazz mic — really an artists’ salon — and immersed himself in the world of jazz.
“I found that world stimulating in a very different way from my classical and theatrical roots,” he says.
In April 2006, Ken launched a new Arlen program, “Last Night When We Were Young — Aspects of Arlen,” at Danny’s Skylight Room in New York City. Accompanied by the Tedd Firth quartet, this popular show comprises songs both well-known and rare, from Broadway, Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley, and explores the many facets of Arlen’s extraordinary contribution to the Great American Songbook.
In December 2010, Ken released his debut CD, The Face of My Love, at the Metropolitan Room. It starts and ends with a dream and in between is a story as old as time, yet as fresh as tomorrow. Love sought, love found, love doubted, love lost – told in a cycle of song, reminiscent of the classic albums of the past. And yet the sound is as modern as the latest jazz releases.
".... It is the sympathetic manner in which vocalist and pianist dance to each other's tunes that makes this artistic relationship a memorable one. In this regard, Hanley and Greves recall the wonderful partnership between Kurt Elling and Laurence Hobgood." Raul d’Gama Rose, CD Editor - All About Jazz
Ken released his second CD, the first volume in the Arlen project, entitled Vintage & Rare: The Songs of Harold Arlen, which explores both the familiar and the little known compositions by the great Harold Arlen in a trio setting. The musicians on this project are Wells Hanley, piano; Peter Donovan, bass; and Jacob Melchior, drums. "Producing this CD and singing vocals on it was a bit of a roller coaster ride; but, with these fine musicians backing me and the Arlen tunes driving me, it was a joyous trip!" says Greves. Upcoming shows will be in November on the 9th and 11th at The Laurie Beechman Theater, 407 West 42nd Street in New York City.
Late 2013, Ken anticipates releasing Night People: a CD of tunes recalling the classic 50's concept albums on Capitol; a collection of song-stylings for the midnight to six AM crowd, capturing the sophistication, wit and heartbreak of that faraway world.
http://www.kengreves.com/
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