Ken McIntyre

A versatile improviser whose reflective approach allowed considerable freedom of expression, Ken McIntyre never achieved widespread prominence in jazz despite his evident abilities. Military service preceded his graduation from the Boston Conservatory, after which he settled in New York in 1960 and quickly drew favorable attention. Two albums appeared on New Jazz that year, one placing him in direct dialogue with Eric Dolphy. He also headed a pair of United Artists sessions between 1962 and 1963 that have since become rare, one of them titled Way Way Out, yet from 1961 onward he increasingly devoted himself to teaching in public schools. Part-time performing continued, including a 1966 date with Cecil Taylor. Five further albums emerged on SteepleChase from 1974 through 1978, among them the definitive Hindsight, which presented each of his five horns in a quartet format. A 1983 encounter with Craig Harris followed, and an Eric Dolphy tribute album was recorded for Serene in 1991, but wider acknowledgment remained elusive. Early in the 1990s he adopted the first name Makanda, and in June 2001 he issued his first recording in years, A New Beginning. Multi-instrumentalist and music educator Dr. Makanda Ken McIntyre died of a heart attack at age 69 on Wednesday, June 13, 2001, at his home in Harlem, NY.