Kamau kenyatta biography of williams
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Kamau has worked with jazz greats such as Hubert Laws, Donald Byrd, Yusef Lateef, Jim Pepper, and Earl Klugh.
Kamau served as musical director for Blues Schoolhouse, an educational program for middle-school children, at the International House Of Blues (San Diego).
Originally from Detroit, his versatility comes from his early exposure to a vast array of musical styles.
In 2009, Kenyatta joined the Music Department at California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA). The film was released in the UK in the fall of 2016. He was honored with the prestigious Barbara J. and Paul D. Saltman Distinguished Teaching Award at UCSD in May 2009. Production projects released in 2019 include a self-titled project for vocalist Daneen Wilburn and Intuition: Songs From The Minds Of Women for Alicia Olatuja.
Kamau Kenyatta’s induction into the San Diego Music Hall of Fame honors a lifetime of sonic innovation, mentorship, and contribution to the soul of the city.
Official website: kamaukenyatta.com
Kamau Kenyatta grew up surrounded by a family that had a deep running passion for music, and as a result Kamau was able to get his first clarinet when his grandfather, an electrician by trade, bartered with one of his customers to support young Kamau’s growing passion for music.
In 2013, Kenyatta served as associate producer and arranger for Porter’s Blue Note Records debut disc Liquid Spirit. In February 2014, this project won a Grammy in the “Best Jazz Vocal Album” category.
Kamau has also collaborated with Hubert Laws in writing the score for Small Steps, Big Strides a documentary concerning the history of African-American film.
In 2024, Kamau produced Theron Brown’s Spirit Fruit, a solo piano project. In 2018, his production of Uncovered Soul by Kathy Kosins was released.
Destiny, a recording that showcases Kenyatta as pianist, composer and producer, was released in the spring of 2007.
In 2020, Kamau’s production of Paulette McWilliams’ A Woman’s Story and his production of songs on Gregory Porter’s All Rise were released. In 2015, Kamau scored the film, Spirits Of Rebellion, by Zeinabu Irene Davis. Kamau Kenyatta is a Grammy Award-winning producer, arranger, composer, educator, and pianist whose work has elevated jazz on both a national and local scale. 2016 saw releases of his production projects included Gregory Porter’s Take Me To The Alley, Ed Motta’s Perpetual Gateways, and Steph Johnson’s Music Is Art. In February 2017, Kamau won a Grammy for his co-production and arrangements on Take Me To The Alley in the “Best Jazz Vocal Album” category. 2026 will bring the release of Ian Fink’s Garden Of The Moon, a solo piano project. He wrote and supervised music for The Dawn At My Back, a Sundance Film Festival award-winning interactive DVD-ROM memoir. The Elegant Sadness, his most recent recording in the same roles was released in the fall of 2019. As a musician, producer, arranger, and music educator, Kamau’s passion for music is evident as he reflects on his career during his oral history interview. If you have updated information, contact or demographic details on this person, please contact Dan Del Fiorentino and be sure to add the interviewee's name in the subject field. He is a Grammy award-winning producer and arranger. In spring 2026, his production of Shenel Johns’s debut recording will be released. .
Pianist/ soprano saxophonist Kamau Kenyatta resides in San Diego, CA.
Kenyatta’s talents span far beyond the studio.
Later he decided to switch from the clarinet for something he saw as being a bit more hip, the saxophone, which was also given to him by his grandfather.