Kenny Davern

This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Kenny Davern was just a kid when he heard Pee Wee Russell play and it was a moment that changed Kenny's life. Learning the clarinet, he focused on Dixieland Jazz, like his hero Pee Wee, but soon branched into traditional and modern jazz. Over the years, Kenny played with Jack Teagarden, Red Allen, Ralph Sutton, and the Dukes of Dixieland, among others. Kenny and his lifelong friend, Dick Wellstood, recorded and performed together including Dick's 1981 Chiaroscuro All Star album.