Jonny King

Jonny King is a powerhouse New York City-born jazz pianist (full name Jonathan Z. King, born February 2, 1965) who's earned rave reviews from *Downbeat* as “one of the strongest piano voices” of his generation and a “bandleader who kicks ass.” Growing up immersed in the city's jazz scene, he rubbed shoulders early with legends like Teddy Wilson and Earl "Fatha" Hines, hit the clubs as a teen performer, and studied at Princeton and Harvard Law—where he still works as an IP attorney—while building a rep gigging at spots like Smalls, The Jazz Standard, and Bradley’s.

King's dropped killer albums like *Notes from the Underground* (1996, Enja, with Joshua Redman), *The Meltdown* (1997, Enja), and *Above All* (2012, Sunnyside, with Ed Howard and Victor Lewis), all hailed by critics for his fresh, distinctive voice. He's jammed and recorded with heavyweights like Christian McBride, Mark Turner, Chris Potter, Joe Lovano, and Steve Wilson, touring the globe and even authoring the go-to jazz primer *What Jazz Is* (with a foreword by McBride). Oh, and he's a fly-fishing enthusiast who ties his own flies, like the "Kinky Muddler."