Home/News
Biography
Groups
Performances
Music & CDs
Discography
Video Clips
Music Q&A
Modern Jazz
Contact
Links

Biography

Kevin Hart was born into a musical family in Bourbonnais Illinois and began playing his father’s drums to jazz records at an early age. His mom, a church organist, enrolled him in piano lessons in third grade, and he continued to experiment with jazz piano throughout high school. An older sister purchased a set of vibes, and Kevin began attempting the sounds of Lionel Hampton. At 15, Hart began drumming with established local musicians, while experimenting on various instruments throughout high school.

As a music student at Eastern Illinois University in the mid-eighties, Hart played drums, vibes, and piano in various groups. While playing drums in the jazz ensemble, Kevin and his fellow musicians had unique experiences playing with jazz legends such as Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, and Rufus Reid. He was also recognized as an outstanding performer at various jazz festivals including Notre Dame, received an honorable mention in a “Modern Drummer” Neil Peart drum giveaway, and won a “Downbeat” Student award in 1990.

Upon accepting a teaching assistantship at the University of Northern Iowa, Hart began graduate school. Working closely under the guidance and influence of pianist, arranger, composer, and educator Bob Washut, Kevin’s interest in classic and fusion jazz expanded to include more modern jazz as well as Latin jazz. He began performing more extensively on vibes with such Iowans as Bob Dunn and Mark Urness, as well as playing drums with the jazz ensemble backing various guest artists, most notably Bob Berg.

With his Masters completed, Hart accepted a teaching assistantship at the University of Illinois and began his Doctorate. While at UI, he performed with more jazz greats such as Clark Terry, Louis Bellson, and Ed Thigpen. Kevin’s interest in piano continued to grow while studying with Chicago-based pianist Mike Kocour, and performing with local piano legend Don Heitler.

Kevin began organizing his own vibe-based groups and began performing at numerous venues, festivals, and concerts throughout the state while at the same time working with many notable regional musicians such as Ron Bridgewater, John Scott, Brian Wilke, Jeff Helgesen, Rachael Lee, Gaile Thomas, Jane Hartman, Dave Dreyer, Dave Hoffman, Sam Crain, and Mike Nellas.

In the past few years, Hart has performed with jazz greats such as Jack McDuff, Steve Turre, Henry Butler, Jerry Bergonzi, Terrell Stafford, Rufus Reid, and Jeff Newell. He has also performed with Chicago-based musicians Eric Schneider, Orbert Davis, Bobby Broom, and Zach Brock.

Notable Midwest performances with his own groups and other artists include the Iowa City Jazz Fest, Viva Chicago, South Shore Jazz Fest, Peoria Jazz Heritage Fest, CEFCU concert series, Carl Sandburg College concert series, Springfield Jazz Fest, Central Illinois Jazz Society, C-U Jazz and Blues Blowout, WEFT Fest, Sounds of Summer, Krannert Summer Swing, Bloomington Pub Crawl, and many others.

Kevin's Latin Jazz Quintet (briefly known as Quinteto Corazon) recorded "Corazon” in 1996, and since then his various groups have become more stylistically eclectic. His recent CD “The Road To Everywhere” features long-time music partners Don Heitler, Mike Nellas, Tim Brickner, and Jeff Magby  and is comprised of original material, a few well-known songs, and compositions by former Illinois musicians.

Hart continues a long-standing weekly gig with Mike Nellas at Panache in Peoria, and also performs frequently with The Swing Daddies, Cassie and Friends, and Joe Metzka. Hart is also an instructor at Knox, Parkland, and Illinois Central Colleges.

Home/News   Biography   Groups   Performances   Music & CDs   Discography
Video Clips   Music Q&A   Modern Jazz   Contact   Links