Baker Proud Summer 2018 - 12

Kevin

Mahogany
Remembering a talented artist and well-loved member of the Baker family

K

evin Mahogany '81, leaves behind a rich legacy in the music community at Baker University
and beyond. Dubbed the "standout jazz vocalist
of his generation" by Newsweek, Mahogany
achieved great success as a musician and will be missed
by many. Mahogany was 59 when he passed away in his
Kansas City, Missouri, home on Dec. 17. He had moved
back last year following the death of his wife, Allene.
Born in Kansas City, jazz was in Mahogany's DNA.
As a child, he easily picked up a variety of instruments,
including piano, clarinet, and baritone saxophone. But it
was in high school where he found his true calling: vocals.
After studying professionally at the Charlie Parker Academy with Ahmad Aladeen, a longtime figure in the KC jazz
scene and one of Mahogany's inspirations, Mahogany attended Baker University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in music, English, and drama.

Kevin Mahogany (middle) with fellow band members

In a 2013 interview with the Baker Orange, Mahogany
said he will always be proud to have graduated from Baker
University, where students have the opportunity to try
new things and to discover new talents and grow through
hands-on experience. It was that hands-on experience and
ability to explore that led Mahogany to pursue a degree
in music. Baker University's Department of Music allows

students from other majors to join music groups and continue to explore their passions, and when Mahogany failed
his chemistry class and decided to leave his chemical
engineering dreams in the past, he easily found a home in
the Baker music department.
William Gaeddert, professor emeritus and Mahogany's
private voice teacher while at Baker, had the pleasure of
working closely with him as a student. Gaeddert said that
Mahogany's remarkable talent was obvious from the beginning, but it was his persona that really set him apart.

"Kevin came, dressed in jeans and a
sweatshirt, and performed with my guest
artist. It was just a real treat for everyone
in the audience."
-Dr. J.D. Parr
"Kevin was a tremendously talented individual with a
big personality," Gaeddert said. "He was great on the stage
and he could just really charm people. He had this big
personality that was so engaging when he was performing,
and I think that really went a long way toward moving
his career along too. He was just an absolutely wonderful
person."
While at Baker, Mahogany established both a jazz and
gospel choir, was a drum major, and sang opera. After
graduating from Baker, Mahogany left for the booming and
influential jazz scene in Kansas City where he made a lasting mark. After forming two groups, The Apollos and Mahogany, he released the debut album "Double Rainbow."
"It was really quite wonderful," Gaeddert said.
Best known for his broad baritone and soulful signature, Mahogany's success took him around the world. He
toured with acts such as T.S. Monk, the Ray Brown Trio,
Marlena Shaw, Roseanna Vitro, and Carl Allen, and played
legendary blues singer Big Joe Turner in "Kansas City," a
1996 movie by Robert Altman. During his career, Mahogany released 11 albums, two of which he recorded on his
own label, Mahogany Music: To Johnny Hartman (2004)
and Big Band (2005).



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http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/bakp/Summer2019
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http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/bakp/Fall2017
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/bakp/Spring2017
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/bakp/fall2016
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/bakp/spring2016
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/bakp/fall2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/bakp/spring2015
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