St. Paul-Minneapolis Jazz Hero
Minnesota
As performer, promoter, booking agent, club owner, curator, and mentor, Kenny Horst has been at the forefront of the Twin Cities jazz scene for more than five decades. Best known as the heart of the storied Artists Quarter (AQ) jazz club, he was first recognized for his drum chops, playing with Bobby Lyle (three years at Minneapolis’s Blue Note) and with Jimmy McGriff and Al Hirt. Later he backed a long list of visiting greats on the AQ stage, including Harry “Sweets” Edison, Eric Alexander, Lew Tabackin, Joanne Brackeen and Jack McDuff.
In the 1970s, Kenny played at Davey Jones Locker (Minneapolis), where he also served as booker, developed lasting relationships with visiting musicians. His skills curating local and national artists supported three locations of the AQ, as manager and ultimately as owner. There he created an internet TV broadcast (“Quarter Notes: Live From the Artists Quarter”), live recording projects with the likes of Lee Konitz, Ira Sullivan, David Hazeltine and Carol Martin, and a home for aspiring young musicians who would become part of the international jazz scene (Dave King, Bill Carrothers, Billy Peterson, Happy Apple and Bob Rockwell, among others).
In 2021, Horst was named a Minnesota Jazz Legend by radio station KBEM-FM, Jazz88. He is indeed a legend, not only for his skills behind the drum kit and as a long-time club owner, but for his unassuming, unselfish support of artists at all points in their careers. Kenny built connections with musicians that went far beyond the gigs on stage. He was a caring friend to musicians and their families, ensuring that the musicians always came first — they were paid for their music even if he took nothing home for himself. And beyond supporting both emerging and veteran musicians, Kenny provided invaluable mentoring to younger artists developing their own curatorial skills, including the intricacies of booking music.
Today, years after closing the Artists Quarter (the rent kept going up), Kenny’s unwavering support of jazz artists continues, as a consultant to Jazz 88 and performing with such up-and-coming artists as pianist Will Kjeer. Further, he helps shine a light on others who were part of the unique history of jazz in Minnesota by offering input to the Minnesota Jazz Legends program and helping honor those who have passed. Kenny is the subject of a forthcoming documentary film about his legacy, Artists’ Quarter.
We honor Kenny Horst for his musical talents and persistence in managing the Artists Quarter for so many years, but mostly for his sense of humor, openness to all who crossed his path and dogged determination to support the music and the musicians, regardless of the hardships such devotion created for himself.
— Patty Peterson, 2020 Jazz Hero
Steve Kenny, 2019 Jazz Hero
Andrea Canter, 2017 Jazz Hero
