ABOUT THE FILM
Legendary New York Times Jazz Critic Whitney Balliett coined Dave McKenna the “hardest swinging pianist of all time.” NPR radio host Terry Gross has called McKenna “one of the greatest”, still using his music on her show to this very day. Why then, is McKenna's name largely forgotten in music history?

The Key Man: Dave McKenna dives into the brilliant, enigmatic and fractured life and career of pianist Dave McKenna. Growing up in the small factory town of Woonsocket, RI, McKenna was something of a savant when it came to the piano. With no training at all, he would sit in front of the keys and replicate what he heard on the radio, note for note. As a teenager in the 1940s/50s, he quickly became the go-to pianist for NYC’s renowned jazz scene, playing with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Gene Krupa, Stan Getz and others. In the 1980s his residency at the famous Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston spanned nearly 10 years and became the hottest show in town. Music fans from all over the world would go to the Copley to catch Dave play.

However, Dave’s struggles with alcoholism derailed what would have otherwise been an illustrious, highly successful career. Instead, he’s now a legend among jazz and music elites around the globe and his unique playing style has influenced pianists all over the world.

This film includes a trove of archive material made available from McKenna’s family, including photos and articles dating back to the 1950s, home movies, rare performance videos, personal taped interviews with McKenna and much more. This film looks at what made Dave tick and the difficulties of supporting a family as a traveling musician. For all his humanness, his genius on the piano has made him an under-appreciated American Icon.
(Feature documentary by Greg Mallozzi, 2022, USA, 54 mins.)

Tickets are $14 ($12 for CCftA members)

For tickets and film details visit:
https://artsonthecape.org/explore/the-woods-hole-film-festival-presents-may

Other films at Cotuit in May:

Thursday, May 12 • 7pm
STORM LAKE
Documentary Feature by Jerry Risius & Beth Levison

Cotuit Center for the Arts is located at 4404 Falmouth Road (Route 28) in Cotuit. Call 508-428-0669 for more info and current COVID policies for the venue.