The Boyer College of Music and Dance mourns the loss of saxophonist and jazz legend Larry McKenna.
McKenna's storied career in performance, arranging and music education transcended six decades. A longtime friend of the Boyer College, McKenna spent several years as adjunct faculty for the Jazz Studies department, imparting a wealth of musical knowledge on many generations of Temple jazz students.
McKenna's final recording project, World on a String, was released on Boyer's BCM&D Records label earlier this year. Jazz adjunct and Boyer alumnus Dan Monaghan, who considered McKenna a close mentor and friend, spearheaded the recording and release of the album. As per the liner notes, World on a String was "born out of a collaboration between McKenna and fellow tenor saxophonist and arranger Jack Saint Clair," another alumnus of Boyer's Jazz Studies program. "Supported by a community of artists, it is the first album to feature Larry McKenna and strings."
McKenna was a staple of the Philadelphia jazz community and beyond. He will be remembered fondly.