NAMM Museum Performance: Daneen Wilburn, Michael Kennedy & Kamau Kenyatta

Daneen Wilburn has been taking fans on a musical journey of emotion and passion since she was a child. Her style transitions from soul to gospel, jazz and ballads effortlessly.  Daneen’s parents were both gospel singers and made music an important part of her life. By age seven, she was the lead singer of the family band and by age nineteen, she found herself singing at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, with some of gospel music’s top names, including, Edwin Hawkins, Darryl Coley, and Ricky Grundy. After a few years, she married and started a family, deciding to leave the music industry to be a full-time mother. Daneen returned to music twenty years later, quickly becoming one of San Diego’s most sought after vocalists. She recently released her debut album, produced by two-time Grammy Winner, Kamau Kenyatta.

Over Michael Kennedy’s 25+ year career as a musician, he has traveled to Japan, New Zealand, South America, Canada, Hawaii and all throughout the continental United States. Michael’s reputation as one of the finest bassists, musical directors and performers in Southern California precedes him and has afforded him the opportunity to work with numerous R & B acts including Bobby Caldwell, Parliament, Funkadelic, The Gap Band, Common Sense and more.

Pianist and saxophonist Kamau Kenyatta is known as a composer, performer, producer, educator, mentor and much more. Originally from Detroit, his versatility comes from his early exposure to a vast array of musical styles. This talented performer-composer-arranger-producer has worked with jazz greats such as Hubert Laws, Earl Klugh, and Patti Austin. World tours have taken Kamau to over 20 countries and include stints with Donald Byrd, Jesus Christ Superstars’ Carl Anderson, The Supremes, New Kids On The Block and 90s hip-hop groups Silk and SWV. Kenyatta's protégé Gregory Porter won Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 2014 GRAMMY Awards for Liquid Spirits, an album Kenyatta produced.