John Mitchell and Kate Kennedy perform unique arrangements from the Great American Songbook and an eclectic blend of contemporary songs, all infused with their special jazz interpretations. Songs range from John Coltrane, Cole Porter, Carlos Santana, Antônio Carlos Jobim, James Taylor, Leonard Cohen, King Crimson.

Improvisational wizard, John D. Mitchell, has played piano and synthesizer professionally for over 50 years. A journeyman musician at the top of his game, John has an innate ability to play and lead, an insatiable fire to innovate and grow his craft, and an intensely creative approach to his playing. His two degrees in Music Composition deeply inform his ability to improvise, and each song receives his special arrangement and interpretation. Throughout his career, John has focused on music, always merging and teaching creativity and technology, and he continues to do so in his post-retirement jazz career. Professor Emeritus after 33 years at Arizona State University, he taught media for dance, creative practice, and interactive performance courses in the School of Film, Dance and Theater. As a founding member of ASU’s Institute for Studies in the Arts, he pioneered the development of the Intelligent Stage, and participated in numerous international multi-site performance artists in Amsterdam, UK, Brazil, Australia, and Spain.

Kate Kennedy, an Arizona native and long-time Tucsonan, has sung professionally all her life, spanning styles from classical to musical theater, Vaudeville, Early music, and theater, as well as with singing standards, blues, rock’n’roll, R&B, contemporary, and country in various bands over the years. True to her Scottish heritage, Kate steps into a song and tells its story, captivating audiences and touching their hearts.

Over the years, she has sung and played keyboards in bands with many of Tucson’s most illustrious musicians, including saxophonist and childhood friend Hurricane Carla Brownlee of Bad News Blues Band (2023 Tucson Musicians Museum Hall of Fame), drummer Larry Cobb (2008 Tucson Musicians Museum Hall of Fame), pedal steel player Neil Harry (2009 Tucson Musicians Museum Hall of Fame), saxophonist Gary Love (2007 Tucson Musicians Museum Hall of Fame), guitarist Tom Kusian (2008 Tucson Musicians Museum Hall of Fame), and fiddler Tim O’Connor (2011 Tucson Musicians Museum Hall of Fame).

johnkatemusic@gmail.com 480.229.8482 johnkatemusic.com

Together, John and Kate create a unique experience that gets to the heart of each song. They perform most often as a duo but also enjoy performing as a trio or larger ensemble. Married since 2024, they have performed in New Mexico the past two years, and are now excited to be expanding their engagements to the Tucson and Phoenix areas.