Patrick Kenny, Class of 2025, releases album of original music

Blair senior jazz performance major / guitarist Patrick Kenny has released his debut album, Water Damage, a six-song project that includes guest performances by Blair professors Jeff Coffin and Marc Widenhofer, as well as other Blair student musicians. Kenny composed all six of the jazz fusion-styled pieces for the project, which was recorded at a Nashville studio. He took time to answer our questions about his inspiration for the project and where the album and first single title, Water Damage, originates.

Is there a musical or stylistic theme for the release?

These are all songs that I have written during my time at Vanderbilt, and they all roughly fall under the category of jazz fusion. I really just wanted to record some songs that would make people want to dance and share the joy I have had making music with some of my closest friends.

Where did the album name Water Damage come from?

Water Damage is the title track of the album and was actually the first song I wrote as a freshman at Vanderbilt. After putting this song together in my dorm, and seeing the water damage on the ceiling, my roommate and I both agreed this would be a fitting title for a funky upbeat song that would be sure to make people move. I thought this title was a fitting tribute to my freshman experience and really encapsulated the energy of the entire album.

Did you write all of the pieces and over what period of time were they composed?

I did write all of the songs on the project and they were all composed during my time at Vanderbilt. These were all songs that I had written and played with the top combo jazz group at Vanderbilt. Many of these songs were put together with the help of Ryan Middagh during my time studying jazz and commercial composition with him. Also, many of these songs were workshopped at some point in top combo with the help of Professors Jeff Coffin, Ryan Middagh, and the help of all my friends who also perform in top combo.

Who are your primary musical influences?

I have been fortunate to have studied with professor Jeff Coffin during my time at Vanderbilt and was very grateful to have him on this album. He is on two of the 6 tracks which make up the album, and observing his recording process on these songs, and the way he experiments with them, was one of my favorite moments while working on the album. I feel like these songs really encapsulated the best of both worlds with his studio precision and the layering of different saxophones that he put on the tracks, as well as his raw improvisational abilities which were showcased and greatly appreciated as well.

Working on this project was an incredible experience and I am grateful for the friends and mentors who made this music come to life. I was inspired to create this album because I love playing a wide variety of original music with friends at Vanderbilt in the University's jazz program and felt that it was important to capture this moment in time. I am truly humbled by the talent and commitment I see around me every day at Blair.

I would like to give a special thanks to professor Widenhofer who not only made this album come to life through his infectious grooves on the drums but was also integral in showing me how to put a cohesive group of musicians together and how to work as a band leader.

What do you hope listeners take away from these songs?

I hope listeners can take away some of the joy and energy that was put into this music. It was so much fun to get to see where my friends and mentors took these compositions musically, and I am incredibly grateful to everyone who helped me with this project.

Water Damage is available now on all major music sites. Click here to listen.

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