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Connie Kay

Conrad Henry Kirnon (April 27, 1927 – November 30, 1994) known professionally as Connie Kay, was an American jazz and R&B drummer, who was a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Self-taught on drums, he began performing in Los Angeles in the mid-1940s. His drumming is recorded in The Hunt, the recording of a famous Los Angeles jam session featuring the dueling tenors of Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray on July 6, 1947. He recorded with Lester Young's quintet from 1949 to 1955 and with Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis.

Kay did R&B sessions for Atlantic Records in the early to mid-1950s, and he was featured on hit records such as Shake, Rattle and Roll by Big Joe Turner and Ruth Brown's (Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean.

Kay joined the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1955, replacing original drummer Kenny Clarke. He remained through the group's dissolution in 1974 and occasional reunions into the 1990s. In addition to his MJQ compatriots, he had an enduring partnership with cool jazz altoist Paul Desmond through the first half of the 1960s. He played drums on several of Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison's albums: Astral Weeks, one song on Saint Dominic's Preview, and four songs on Tupelo Honey.

Kay was known for incorporating percussion instruments alongside his drum kit, such as timpani, small cymbals, triangle, bell tree, and darbukas, the latter referred to as "exotic-looking" drums in a 2006 article.

In 1989, Kay received an honorary doctorate of music from Berklee College of Music.

Kay had a stroke in 1992, but recovered enough to resume performing. He died of cardiac arrest in Manhattan in 1994 at the age of 67. He also played with Benny Goodman' Orchestra at the Carnegie Hall 40th. Anniversary Concert on January 17, 1978. Kay never recorded as a session leader.

Birth and Death Data: Born April 27, 1927 (Tuckahoe), Died November 30, 1994 (Manhattan)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1951 - 1958

Roles Represented in DAHR: drums

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 49 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Atlantic 572 10-in. 2/27/1951 I've got you under my skin Frank "Floorshow" Culley instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 573 10-in. 2/27/1951 Culley-flower Frank "Floorshow" Culley instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 753 10-in. 12/19/1951 Middle of the night The Clovers instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 754 10-in. 12/19/1951 Comin' on The Clovers instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 755 10-in. 12/19/1951 One mint julep The Clovers instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 786 10-in. 1/20/1952 I'll never stop loving you Joe Turner ; Harry Van Walls instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 787 10-in. 1/20/1952 Sweet sixteen Joe Turner ; Harry Van Walls instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 791 10-in. 2/7/1952 Alarm clock boogie Jesse Stone Orchestra ; Odelle Turner instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 792 10-in. 2/7/1952 Draggin' hours Jesse Stone Orchestra ; Odelle Turner instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 803 10-in. 2/13/1952 Be anything (but be mine) Ruth Brown instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 804 10-in. 2/13/1952 5-10-15 hours Ruth Brown instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 960 10-in. 12/19/1952 (Mama) he treats your daughter mean Ruth Brown instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 1017 10-in. 3/4/1953 Good lovin' The Clovers instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 1018 10-in. 3/4/1953 I confess The Clovers instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 1065 10-in. 5/17/1953 It should have been me Mickey Baker ; Ray Charles ; Connie Kay ; Lloyd Trotman instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 1066 10-in. 5/17/1953 Losing hand Ray Charles instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 1067 10-in. 5/17/1953 Heartbreaker Ray Charles instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 1068 10-in. 5/17/1953 Sinner's prayer Ray Charles instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 1069 10-in. 5/17/1953 Mess around Ray Charles instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 1070 10-in. 5/17/1953 Funny (but i still love you) Ray Charles instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 1109 10-in. 8/18/1953 Feelin' sad Ray Charles instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 1209 10-in. 2/15/1954 Shake, rattle and roll Blues Kings (Joe Turner's)(Musical group) instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 1212 10-in. 2/5/1954 Well all right Blues Kings ; Joe Turner instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 1315 10-in. 8/26/1954 All righty oh sweetie The Clovers instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 1332 10-in. 10/20/1954 Tomorrow night LaVern Baker ; The Gliders instrumentalist, drums  
(Results 1-25 of 49 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kay, Connie," accessed November 7, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/324826.

Kay, Connie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/324826.

"Kay, Connie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 7 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/324826

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