Joe Kenney and Hope Linton’s cooler heads are truly Prevailing in their collaborative instrumental single and video — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Cinematic and sweeping, Prevailing is the first single on an upcoming album by Philadelphia pianist Kenney and violinist Linton. The result of this union is a wholly unique, enchanting and heart-rending piece that draws listeners in from the first notes, as her lyrical and rich style merges perfectly with his graceful and elegant technique.
Prevailing begins as a softly lilting work and gains strength and emotion as Kenney and Linton perfectly complement each other, musically expressing the courage it takes to tackle fear and pursue dreams. As Kenney explains, “In my life and career, that comes with embracing the unknowns of the music industry, trusting instincts and following my art, and continually challenging myself to level up as a performer, songwriter, and recording artist.”
In their first collaboration, Kenney brings his gift for improvisation, and Hope is integral in fine-tuning ideas for creating a structure and arrangement that has an intentionality to match the spirit of the music. The process for this work begins with the daily improvisations that Kenney posts on TikTok, as Linton identifies bits and pieces worth honing in on and perfecting.
Since he released his debut album Afflictions and Remedies in 2015, Kenney has been lauded as one of the most unique and innovative artists on the neo-classical music scene. Garnering praise and press attention for his singular ability to flawlessly merge a variety of musical genres and styles, Kenney has a rare gift for blending classical music theory, jazz fusion, rock, soul, and hip-hop. In the eight years since he began his career, he has released five critically acclaimed albums, all featuring both original compositions and transformative covers of Twenty One Pilots, Drake and other contemporary artists.
Linton is a passionate and gifted musician and music educator who plays regularly with the Lancaster Symphony. A fellow West Chester University of Pennsylvania music performance alumnus, Hope has also just created her first patent-pending product in the music education space and is constantly innovating in an effort to make great violin and viola music accessible to as many ages and levels as possible. The result of this collaboration is a glorious and stirring piece, at once emotive and powerful.
Watch the video for Prevailing above, hear more from Joe Kenney below, and find him at his website, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
