Trumpeter Kenny Rampton grew up in Las Vegas, and studied music at both the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and the Berklee College of Music. In 1989, he moved to New York, where he quickly established his reputation as a versatile musician, touring and performing with a veritable who's who in jazz.
Kenny's first road gig was a world tour with The Ray Charles Orchestra. He subsequently went on the road with legendary jazz drummer Panama Francis and The Savoy Sultans, and soon thereafter, with The Jimmy McGriff Quartet.
As a sideman, Kenny has also performed with jazz greats Jon Hendricks, Chico OFarrill's Afro-Cuban Jazz Big Band, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Persip and Supersound, Illinois Jacquet, Dr. John, Edy Martinez, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Reuben Wilson, Charles Earland, Tony Monaco, Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, Marcus Roberts, Christian McBride, Geoff Keezer, Richard Bona and a host of others.
Kenny Rampton joined the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis as a full time member in 2010. He also leads his own groups in addition to performing with the Mingus Big Band, The Mingus Orchestra, The Mingus Dynasty, George Gruntz' Concert Jazz Band, and The Manhattan Jazz Orchestra.
Kenny is also well known as being the trumpet voice on the legendary Sesame Street. Some of his Broadway credits include "Anything Goes" (lead/solo trumpet), "Finian's Rainbow," "The Wiz," "Chicago: The Musical," "In The Heights," "Hair," "Young Frankenstein," and "The Producers," "The Drowsy Chaperone," "Spamalot," "Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me," "The Wedding Singer," "Hot Feet" and several other shows on Broadway.
Finally, in 2020 Kenny started collaborating with Hirschman Mutes to design the innovative KR Indigo plunger mute, which has been a hit ever since its release.
In our conversation today, Kenny shares how he got his start growing up in Las Vegas in a family of entertainers. Studying trumpet at the time largely meant classical trumpet, but Kenny soon developed a deep love for jazz. This took him across the country to Berklee, and the rest is history.
Kenny tells us what it was like getting a sudden call from Ray Charles to join his orchestra, being on-screen on Sesame Street, and working closely with Wynton Marsalis at the Lincoln Center.
And, we learn the story of how he developed the famous KR Indigo plunger mute, in the midst of the pandemic, as not just a useful tool for musicians but a way to stay engaged with the community during that tough time.
Kenny Rampton is brimming with inspiration and heart, and it was a pleasure to have him on the podcast today.
Podcast listeners! Enter code "podcast" at checkout for 15% off any of our guard bags! Visit trumpetmouthpiece.com for more info.
Episode Links:
Podcast Credits: - "A Room with a View" – composed and performed by Howie Shear
- Podcast Host – John Snell
- Audio Engineer – Ted Cragg
- Cover art photo credit: Blushing Cactus Photography
