Jazz on the hoof

One of the bright spots on the South Florida jazz scene this past year was the re-emergence of Kenny Millions. The world-renowned avant-garde artist generally keeps a low-profile locally as the owner and operator of Sushi Blues Cafe and Blue Monk Lounge in downtown Hollywood. When he does play, it's usually at the café, and usually in more straight-ahead jazz or blues settings. However, in 2008, Millions decided to scratch his itch for off-the-wall expression, and his last Thursday of the month outings (pun intended) at Radio-active Records in Fort Lauderdale have provided some of the most raw and vital live performances this town has seen in some time. (Scroll through this blog and you'll find details.)

Now, Millions reports, he's really hit the big-time: Someone actually named a race horse after him. (Go to www.uk-jumping.com/h_september.htm.) A 4-year-old bay gelding with the name Maslak (Kenny's real last name) has turned up in the U.K., and is described as having "gained a reputation for being a bit of a thinker, in the worst sense of the word" in a scouting report that is somewhat circumspect about the horse's prospects. The listing goes on to say that he was named for the jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, "whose alternate stage name is, encouragingly for coincidence buffs, Kenny Millions ..." Be sure to check out the photo caption, too. Those Brits are real cards!

"Don't know the horse's owner, but he must be a real eccentric music fan to like my shit enough to name his horse after me," Millions told me in a recent e-mail.

Kenny's next round of lunacy mixed with supreme musical mastery takes place Jan. 29 at Radio-active, and he'll be joined by the very entertaining Ketamine Blow Dart and DJ Skidmark. The place is located in the Gateway Plaza, on Sunrise Blvd. just east of Federal, and stocks a truly thorough selection of jazz vinyl. (Go to Churchillspub.com.) You can also find him at the huge International Noise Fest taking place at Churchill's Pub in Little Haiti Feb. 12-14. You might also inquire about buying a copy of his live recording titled Eat Shit at Churchill's, which, incidentally, is also a bitchin' name for a race horse.