Kenny Rankin

About

From New York City, Kenny Rankin was a pop and jazz singer/songwriter. Though his passion laid in jazz music, Rankin incorporated pop melodies into his early work for the purpose of supporting his living expenses. Eventually in the 1990s, he was able to fully embrace his jazz appetite, attracting a new fan base with his smooth nylon-stringed guitar and gentle voice. Rankin's 1967 debut album Mind Duster included his single "Peaceful," which multiple artists went on to cover. By the time he released his 1997 effort Here in My Heart, Rankin was working with jazz artists such as Michael Brecker and Ernie Watts, and began adding echoes of Brazilian music into his style. In addition to his original work, he added his own jazz-inspired takes on his cover of classics, including his version of The Beatles' "Blackbird," which impressed Paul McCartney so much that he invited Rankin to play the song when he and John Lennon were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Rankin's last album, A Song For You, was released in 2002.