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Pianist Kent Hewitt has been a mainstay of jazz and popular piano
in Southern New England for many years. A
consummate soloist and accompanist, he has been musical director for numerous popular Connecticut
jazz clubs. Kent leads his own trio
which features a “Tribute to the Great Pianists” of the Golden Era of Jazz. His recent CD: Time on my Hands is a jazz trio recording of unique and elegant standards from great American and Brazilian composers.
He has recorded TV jingles for Don Elliott Productions and also recorded for Playscape
Records with Michael Mussilami, Randy Brecker, Ray Drummond, Claudio Roditi, Ralph Moore, Thomas Chapin, as well as for Janet
Marlow and Phyllis Hyman. He has performed in concert with jazz notables Clark
Terry, Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell, Steve Rossi, Jon Hendricks, Cassandra Wilson, among many others. In 2005 Kent released a CD of his
own compositions called Little Town by the Sea, a tribute to Noank, a maritime village in his hometown of Groton, CT. The CD was commissioned
by the Noank Historical Society and the Groton Tercentennial Committee for Groton’s
300th anniversary.
Kent was the first pianist to open at the famous Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City.
He has been solo house pianist at the noted New York jazz club- Jimmy Ryan’s and
has toured Europe with Czech trumpeter Laco Deczi. He has collaborated with writer Melanie Greenhouse and composed music for her popular theatrical productions:
Point of Land and The Duchess. He has also collaborated with Connecticut Poet
Laureate Marilyn Nelson for the prestigious Sunken Gardens poetry festival and recorded a CD: Poems to Music. He recently
composed and performed music for a spoken word CD for the childrens’ book The Ladder
Kent holds a music degree in Theory and Composition from the University of Connecticut
and a business degree from Boston University. He has studied piano and theory with Ray Santisi, Charlie Mariano, Hal Galper, Fred
Hersch, Ron Brown, and Hale Smith. He has taught for Berklee College of Music,
Trinity College, The Hartford Conservatory, The Music School of
the Rhode Island Philharmonic as well as Summerkeys in Maine.
He also has been active as a performer and clinician for the Hartford Jazz Society.
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