Kent Baker Music


ii-V-I Jazz Trio

With nearly a century and a half of performances between any three of them on the bandstand, the ii-V-I Jazz Trio has just wrapped a year-long residency at The Foundry at Summit Pond, Killington, VT.

For bookings or more information, contact Kent Baker at kent@kentbakermusic.com or at 802.287.1066.


Sample Sound Files

  • (Our) Love Is Here to Stay (George Gershwin)
  • On the Sunny Side of the Street (Jimmy McHugh)
  • Stella By Starlight (Victor Young)
  • Taking a Chance on Love (Vernon Duke)
  • What Is This Thing Called Love? (Cole Porter)

  • Kent Baker (piano)

    Kent Baker (piano) coordinates ii-V-I Jazz. He is a classically-trained pianist and accompanist with a degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music, where he serve as accompanist of choirs under the direction of his mentor and friend, Brock McElheran. He has accompanied numerous festival ensembles, readings, and master classes uner Franz Allers, Don Besig, Robert DeCormer, Zubin Mehta, Mary Yong, Daniel Andai, Midori, Arturo Delmoni, and others.

    He has had the privilege to open for Dr. Billy Taylor and Maynard Ferguson. Under his direction, Castleton University's Dance Band Tenths opened for Chick Corea. He has played for Joan Rivers, Bob Newhart, and Ruta Lee. He has conducted and played in numerous scholastic, community, and summer-stock theater productions, particularly enjoying his relationship with the Weston Playhouse as music director/pianist for the collegiate Young Company for three seasons. He is active as a sideman for many jazz combos, including Jenni Johnson and the Jazz Junketeers, and is a free-lance accompanist and coach.

    Kent taught public school music for 17 years. At Castleton University for 10 years, he taught theory, instrumental and vocal arranging, composition, jazz pedagogy, jazz combos, jazz ensemble, applied studio piano, beginning class piano, rock history, and served as an acccompanist-coach. He adjudicated tenors, pianists, and harpists at the New England Music Festival Association for nearly two decades. A church organist for nearly 50 years, he is the music director for both Our Lady of the Annunciation Roman Catholic Church (Queensbury, NY) and Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church (Lake George, NY).

    Kent was the music director and pianist for the Marble City Swing Band (Rutland, VT), the founding director and pianist for the EnerJazz Big Band (Brandon, VT), and the music director for the Poultney-Granville Town Band (Poultney, VT). He served as staff pianist and applied piano instructor at Green Mountain College (Poultney, VT) and as accompanist for choruses and musicals at Castleton University.

    Most recently, prior to COVID, Kent spent two years as a cruise ship pianist aboard Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth, performing in the Royal Court Theatre Orchestra (backing guest entertainers and the ship's company of singers and dancers) and the Queen's Room Orchestra (for ballroom dancing), also serving as an occasional solo pianist and performing in jazz trios.

    As music facilitator for the former Rutland Southwest Supervisory Union, Kent was named as a Distinguished Leader in Vermont Arts Education by the Vermont Alliance for Arts Education. He also holds a masters degree in computer and information sciences from the University of Phoenix.


    Personnel (click picture for bio)

    Bear Irwin
    Trombone
    Glendon Ingalls
    Bass, Trumpet, Sousaphone
    Ron White
    Bass, First Call
    Kent Baker
    Piano