Kenny Kirkland; Versatile Jazz Pianist

Kenny Kirkland, jazz pianist known for his work with Sting, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis and his band on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show,” has died at age 43.

Kirkland was found dead Friday in his home in Queens, N.Y. Drug paraphernalia was reportedly found nearby, but the cause of death remained undetermined, according to medical examiners.

In a statement Monday, Branford Marsalis mourned the passing of Kirkland, whom he called “a musical genius.”

Adept at every kind of music from classical to rock to blues, the Brooklyn-born Kirkland played piano from the age of 6 and received his core training at the Manhattan School of Music. Taking saxophone lessons piqued his interest in jazz.

Kirkland met trumpeter Wynton Marsalis at jam sessions in New York and from 1981 to 1985 played with his quartet. The group made its Southern California debut in 1982 at the Roxy, with the late Times jazz critic Leonard Feather describing Kirkland as a “viscerally exciting pianist.”

Working with saxophonist Branford Marsalis as well, Kirkland spent several years in Southern California while appearing on the “Tonight Show.” After hours, he performed as a soloist or with such television colleagues as Jeff Watts and Robert Hurst in local jazz venues. Among them were the Catalina Bar & Grill, the Club Brasserie at the Bel Age Hotel and Carlos & Charlie’s.

Times jazz writer Don Heckman said of a 1992 performance at Carlos & Charlie’s: “Kirkland, who has become one of the busiest pianists in town, played with the confident manner of a contemporary artist who has incorporated a firm sense of jazz history in every note of his music.”

Kirkland’s “brief but impressive moments on the TV show,” Feather once noted, made him so popular that he could pack any jazz room in town, even on a rainy night.

With rock singer Sting, Kirkland played synthesizers on tour and on two highly publicized albums. He also performed with the pop group Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Kirkland performed on jazz albums with Michal Urbaniak, Miroslav Vitous, Elvin Jones and Wynton Marsalis. Heckman called Kirkland’s 1991 recording “a first-rate contemporary jazz album.”

The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz ended a brief description of his career by noting: “Kirkland’s technical ability, inventiveness and awareness of tradition mark him as a player of unusual breadth and promise.”