Ken Chaney

Ken Chaney was born in Edmonton, Alberta Canada and began playing piano, and saxophone in high-school and teen age dance bands, he became interested in jazz as a teenager and became one of the founders of a musician owned and operated after-hours jazz club called the “Yardbird Suite”. The Yardbird still presents Jazz groups from around the world.

Ken has returned as a featured artist on several engagements. Ken spent a short time in Detroit Jamming and working with some Great musicians and then ventured to Chicago where he studied theory and Composition at Roosevelt University, And was one of the founding members and first Business Manager of the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) Ken also performed with many Jazz greats, such as Milt Jackson, Donald Byrd, Eddie Harris, Clark Terry, Houston Person, Slide Hampton, David Fat-head Newman and others.

He then worked and recorded with Young-Holt Unlimited and “Soulful Strut” became a hit record and they toured throughout the U.S., Canada and Switzerland appearing at the Montreaux Jazz Festival Also major venues in the U.S. like Carnegie Hall, Madison Sq. Gardens The Apollo Theatre, and major clubs and concerts throughout the Country.

After leaving Young –Holt he formed the Ken Chaney Xperience, an instrumental group also featuring five vocalists and they performed throughout Chicago and the Mid West College Circuit and opened for Miles Davis, Natalie Cole, Dianne Reeves and others.

His next project was the Awakening which recorded for Black Jazz Records and received a 5 star review from Down Beat Magazine the group was only active for about 4 yrs but received great audience and critical acclaim.

Currently Ken is working The Jazz club circuit and recently worked In Poznan Poland at the Made in Chicago Series with the Sax Summit a group he developed for the Jazz Institute of Chicago of which he is on the Board of Directors. Last summer he released his first Trio.