Kevin Mahogany

Kevin Mahogany
Jazz singer Kevin Mahogany at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Jazz Fest on March 4, 2007
Born	(1958-07-30) July 30, 1958 (age 58) Kansas City, Missouri

Kevin Mahogany (born July 30, 1958, in Kansas City, Missouri) is an American jazz vocalist who became prominent in the 1990s. He is known for his scat singing, and his singing style has been compared with jazz singers Joe Williams and Johnny Hartman.

Kevin Mahogany began his study of music as a child with piano and later learned to play the clarinet and baritone saxophone, performing with jazz bands and teaching music while still in high school. "When I was a kid, music was just as important as English and math in our household" says Mahogany. "In fact piano lessons were a grade school staple for the whole family." Mahogany attended Baker University, where he performed with both instrumental and vocal ensembles and formed a vocal jazz group. In 1981, Mahogany received his BFA in Music and English Drama.

After graduation, he returned to Kansas City where he attracted a local following in the 1980s performing with his groups, "The Apollos" and "Mahogany." In 1991, he was featured on a CD by Frank Mantooth.

His first CD release as a solo artist was Double Rainbow in 1993. This was followed by the self-titled album Kevin Mahogany, which won him his first critical acclaim in the media, prompting Newsweek to call Mahogany "the standout jazz vocalist of his generation."

Mahogany appeared in Robert Altman's 1996 film Kansas City, playing a character said to be based on Kansas City singer Big Joe Turner.

Kevin Mahogany lists his vocal influences as Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Al Jarreau and Eddie Jefferson. As a jazz educator, Mahogany has taught at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and the University of Miami.