Entertainment

‘KT’ on the move with Memphis in mind

Kenneth “KT” Townsend took his talents to LA but he and the New Genesis Band have been representing their hometown of Memphis every chance they get.  by Jason D. Burt
Special to the Tri-State Defender

Kenneth “KT” Townsend took his talents to LA but he and the New Genesis Band have been representing their hometown of Memphis every chance they get.

From left to right; Kenneth ‘KT’ Townsend, keys; Brandon Brown, bass; Kyle Bolden, guitar; William “Billy Wes” Wesson, lead vocals/keys; and Stanley Randolph, drums. (Courtesy photo)

Now, with his talent in tow, he’s on the road, traveling as keyboardist to the Oscar-winning, platinum-selling recording artist Jennifer Hudson. So that means if you see a performance by Hudson this year the chances are you’ll see KT on the keyboard.

Townsend grew up with a piano in the house and has been playing the piano for as long as he remembers. At the age of thirteen he began to acquire the skills needed to play professionally. He says it was the Dave Ruckle Band and their keyboardist, Jay Oliver, who helped him to get into new styles of music. After branching out, he blossomed into his own category.

For KT, playing the keyboard is a God-given gift that he did not choose. Music is a comfort to him, and he thanks God for giving him his talent as a tool to feed his family.

Among his favorite past projects – outside of New Genesis – is a local gospel session with Everett McBee. The recordings are prominent on his must-listen list.

Nowadays, KT has been continuing his work with the New Genesis Band and doing some producing for other artists. He currently is the mixing engineer on an album for Frankie DeCarlos, a musician out of Atlanta.

I asked KT who he thought would be the next artist from Memphis to gain national recognition. He said that from living in Los Angeles he hears music from Free Soul Band and Will Graves. He also said that Ify Emechete is getting a lot of buzz in the music crowd lately and that he is “happy” for her.

While LA is the home base, Memphis will always be his hometown.

The next time you can see KT and the New Genesis Band will be at the Jennifer Hudson performance for MTV Spring Break in Barbados. Also the band will be performing in an annual Christmas Concert in Memphis this December. You can find updated performance information on Reverbnation.com. Look out for the New Genesis Band on Twitter, Facebook, and Reverbnation.com.

(Jason D. Burt is a special correspondent with “‘N’Style TV Show” (Tuesdays at 6 p.m.) and “City Beats TV Show)” (Wednesdays at midnight) – both on Comcast Cable Channel 17.)