[1] On Wynton’s self-titled debut album, Kirkland shared the piano duties with one of his musical influences, Herbie Hancock,[5] but was the sole pianist on Marsalis's subsequent releases Think of One,[6] Hot House Flowers[7] and Black Codes (From the Underground).

Although the Blue Turtles would be a relatively short-lived outfit (performing two or three years of high-profile touring before Sting opted to continue with more traditional pop lineups), Kirkland would maintain his musical relationship with Sting afterwards, performing various piano and keyboard parts on subsequent studio albums.

[10] When Branford Marsalis assumed the high-visibility role of bandleader for NBC TV's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Kirkland became the band's pianist.

Thunder And Rainbows (1991, Sunnyside Records), by "Jazz from Keystone", is a trio album with Kirkland, Charles Fambrough, and Jeff "Tain" Watts.

He attributed his poor health to twenty years of touring without adequate vacations and exercise, and deemed his chances of surviving any surgery 50/50 or less.

In a video interview with Sting published on Aug 29, 2020 as part of the Doctone Project, Sting relates about Kirkland’s playing philosophy as follows: “I learned a lot from him—that way of approaching harmony where there are no wrong notes, just the note that you follow with... there are no mistakes in a Kenny Kirkland solo.