Sterling Jazz

Larry McKenna

Larry McKenna - Tenor Saxophone: Larry McKenna is one of the leading jazz saxophonists in America, a world class player who chose to stay home in Philadelphia; he is everybody's first call. Larry is a retired instructor of jazz theory, harmony and saxophone at Temple University, West Chester University, and Community College of Philadelphia.. Larry McKenna has performed as soloist with jazz stars such as Woody Herman, Clark Terry, Jon Faddis, Buddy DeFranco, Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughn and Frank Sinatra. His CD My Shining Hour, a tribute to the music of Harold Arlen, has received critical acclaim from reviewers all across the United States and Canada. In addition to My Shining Hour on the Alana label, Larry has recorded It Might As Well Be Spring on the Dream Box label.

Music arranged by Larry McKenna has been played on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" and in the Nicolas Cage film Birdy, in which he both played and appeared. In addition to conventional jazz arranging, he continues to arrange jazz for elementary and middle school bands on a new and very exciting project targeted at helping younger people understand the fundamentals of jazz music.

"I've had the extreme pleasure of playing on the same bandstand with Larry on several occasions. One of the traditional things in jazz playing, or the interpretation of the jazz language, is the ability of a player to repeat a musical message/statement or 'riff' exactly the way it was 'laid down' by the creator/innovator of the "riff", rhythmwise and linearwise. When a player is capable of doing this perfectly he becomes known as one who can 'read'. Please believe me, Larry McKenna can read his --- off. Larry is destined to become one of jazz's all-time outstanding soloists (if he isn't already)." - Clark Terry

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