KEN PERFORMS THURSDAY JULY 19, 2012 AT MAKEDA
NBJP: What’s the worst (non-musical) job you ever had?
KF: Working in a car wash during the winter months.
NBJP: Who’s your favorite jazz performer?
KF: George Coleman, so inspiring…
NBJP: What inspires you creatively?
KF: Going out and hearing live music, speaking with like minded jazz musicians, hearing a new record that I’ve never checked out.
NBJP: If you could only own one CD, what would it be?
KF: Hank Mobley’s “Soul Station” the most perfect record ever made, in my opinion.
NBJP: What’s one liquid (other than water) we’d ALWAYS find in your refrigerator?
KF: Lately it’s been Gatorade, I play a lot of doubles beach volleyball during the summer.
NBJP: What’s your favorite jazz spot, if you’re going just to hang?
KF: Smoke or Smalls have always been my two favorites.
NBJP: What word or phrase do you overuse?
KF: Whenever I see my friends I say “dis’ guy!” And now everyone says it. I don’t even know where it came from.
PLUS ONE: When did you know you wanted to be a jazz musician?
KF: My first lesson in South Jersey with my teacher, Tony Salicandro. At the end of the lesson he played keyboard with me. We started playing and I had to stop because I was laughing. There wasn’t anything funny. I just couldn’t believe that I was part of the music we were creating together. I was so overwhelmed and happy by the experience, hearing what was coming out of my horn with the chords he was playing on the piano.. my natural reaction was to laugh uncontrollably. When something makes you feel that good, you know it’s something special.