American pianist Kenny Werner loves to play in a strength of three. Only he did decide never to record albums in a studio with his trio. For, so he explains, “it just doesn't tell the story of the kind of great things that happen spontaneously on the bandstand when we have the resonance of people listening and watching.” In the eighties he toured with Archie Shepp many times and for a long period of time, fourteen years, formed a much-belauded trio with bass player Ratzo Harris and drummer Tom Rainey. Later Kenny Werner played many times in the groups of Joe Lovano, Tom Harrell and his good friend Toots Thielemans, with whom he regularly can be heard in duets. For a while he formed a trio with Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette, which lead to the beautiful album A Delicate Balance. His present Kenny Werner trio consists of bass player Johannes Weidenmuller and drummer Ari Hoenig. Werner met these two young musicians when he made the CD Beauty Secrets, an album featuring co-operations with several groups and duets with Joe Lovano and Broadway-star Betty Buckley among others. In 2000 the trio released its first album. Followed by the release of Beat Degeration last year.
