Oklahoma Musicians

Jazz history

Ken Downing

All About Jazz identifies Downing as a Tulsa-born and educated tenor saxophonist, composer, arranger, and leader who organized and directed the Tulsa Concert Jazz Band for roughly thirty years and died in 1983. The Hall-affiliated profile adds Tulsa University study and extensive Tulsa band work.

Oklahoma connection

Independent jazz coverage places his education and long-term band leadership in Tulsa.

Musical work and relationships

Tenor saxophonist; composer; arranger; bandleader; Tulsa Concert Jazz Band; Tulsa Jazz in Concert Orchestra.

Hall of Fame account

The Hall catalog lists Ken Downing as an arranger and band leader inducted in 1999.

Evidence and remaining questions

Resolve the exact birth date and confirm whether the same person is represented in every Tulsa-band reference.

Sources

  1. www.allaboutjazz.com/thanks-for-the-memories-the-music-of-ken-downing-the-jazz-project-big-band-self-produced-review-by-jack-bowers
  2. jazzdepotlive.com/portfolio/ken-downing-1999/
  3. www.okjazz.org/inductees/

Related source accounts

These records use the same display name in different source contexts. They remain separate accounts.