An international legend of boogie-woogie and especially of the blues, of which he is aptly nicknamed the big boss: in an exceptional preview for the forty-seventh edition of Jazz in Sardegna – European Jazz Expo , the spotlights of Cagliari 's Teatro Massimo will be turned on tonight for Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne and his Quartet . Curtains rise at 9:30 pm , anticipating the festival's heartbeat from November 20th to 22nd .
Joined live by the celebrated talents of Heggy Vezzano (guitar), Russell Jackson (bass and vocals), and Joey DiMarco (drums), the veteran American artist brings his fluid yet robust piano and soulful voice to the stage, taking his original productions on an emotional sonic journey . Born in Spokane, Washington, Wayne grew up between New Orleans, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and began playing the piano at just thirteen, initially cultivating a gospel education under his father's influence.
But the taste of the young "Blues Boss" gradually evolved, leading him towards the shores of jazz, rhythm & blues, soul and swing, inspirations that still today shape his unique style , energetic and inextricably linked to the rich African-American tradition. Now boasting over fifty years of a distinguished career, Wayne has toured the entire planet with his music, collaborating and sharing the stage with authentic legends of "devil's music", such as Jimmy Reed , Pinetop Perkins , Joe Louis Walker and Ike Turner , in an artistic journey studded with important recognitions such as a Juno Award , seven Maple Blues Awards , the 2024 Blues Music Award – an award dedicated to his idol and teacher Perkins – and, most recently, the title of Best Blues Pianist by Blues Blast Magazine in 2025. In that same year he was also the protagonist of the " The Kings of Blues " euro-tour, in the company of Vasti Jackson , Waldo Weathers , Russell Jackson and Tony Coleman .