KENNY MALONE ~ MASTER OF PERCUSSION
When you have Kenny Malone on a session, you never have to ask what time it is. It's always Kenny Malone "heartbeat" time and it's perfect! - Jim Rooney, producer (Nanci Griffith, John Prine, Iris Dement)
Over the past 40 years, Kenny Malone has been the top percussionist on the Nashville studio scene --- particularly for the bluegrass/folk/songwriter end of the country music spectrum. Here is a partial list of artists whose albums he has graced: SINGER / SONGWRITERS BLUEGRASS MAINSTREAM VIRTUOSOS ... and hundreds of others both famous and not-so-famous. The list above is remarkable not so much for its variety as for the consistent artistic integrity of the performers. In fact, this one percussionist has appeared on albums by 50 different artists who have won Grammy Awards. And that they chose the same person to provide a pulse for their music is testimony to the greatness of Kenny Malone.
John Prine, Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith, Darrell Scott, Townes VanZandt, Shawn Camp, Jesse Winchester, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle
Alison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs, John Hartford, Claire Lynch, Osborne Bros., Dillards, New Grass Revival, Rhonda Vincent, IIIrd Tyme Out, Tim O'Brien
Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Don Williams, Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard, Kathy Mattea, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash
Mark O'Connor, Béla Fleck, Buddy Spicher, Charlie McCoy, Russ Barenberg, Edgar Meyer, Doc Watson, Ray Charles
photo: J. Niles Clement