Wynton Kelly

Wynton Kelly (December 2, 1931 – April 12, 1971) was a Jamaican-born jazz pianist, who spent his career in the United States.^[1] He is perhaps best known for working with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1959-1962.^[1]

Biography

Son of Jamaican immigrants, Kelly was born in Jamaica,^[2] and started his professional career as a teenager, initially as a member of R&B groups. After working with Lee Abrams, Cecil Payne, Dinah Washington and Dizzy Gillespie,^[3] he was a member of Miles Davis' Quintet from 1959 to 1963. He appears on Davis' seminal 1959 album Kind of Blue, replacing Bill Evans on the track "Freddie Freeloader". He likewise appears on a single track from John Coltrane's Giant Steps, replacing Tommy Flanagan on "Naima".^[1]

He recorded 14 titles for Blue Note in a trio (1951), and worked with Washington, Gillespie, and Lester Young during 1951-1952. After serving in the military, he worked with Washington (1955–1957), Charles Mingus (1956–1957), and the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band (1957), but he would be most famous for his stint with Miles Davis (1959–1963), recording such albums with him as Kind of Blue, At the Blackhawk, and Someday My Prince Will Come. When he left Davis, Kelly took the rest of the rhythm section (bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb) with him to form his trio.

Kelly recorded as a leader for Blue Note, Riverside Records, Vee-Jay, Verve, and Milestone.^[4] Kelly had a daughter, Tracy, in 1963, with partner Anne. The track, "Little Tracy", from the LP Comin' in the Back Door, is named after Kelly's daughter. Tracy Matisak is a now a Philadelphia television personality.

Kelly's second cousin, bassist Marcus Miller, also performed with Miles Davis in the 1980s and 1990s.^[1]

Kelly died in Toronto, Canada, from an epileptic seizure in April 1971.

Discography

As leader

• 1951: Piano Interpretations (Blue Note)
• 1958: Piano (Riverside)
• 1959: Kelly Blue (Riverside)
• 1959: Kelly Great (Vee-Jay)
• 1960: Kelly at Midnight (Vee-Jay)
• 1961: Wynton Kelly! (Vee-Jay)
• 1961: Someday My Prince Will Come (Vee-Jay)
• 1963: Comin' in the Back Door (Verve)
• 1964: It's All Right! (Verve)
• 1965: Undiluted (Verve)
• 1965: Smokin' at the Half Note (Verve)
• 1965: Blues on Purpose (Xanadu)
• 1967: Full View (Milestone)
• 1968: Last Trio Session (Delmark)

As sideman

With Julian "Cannonball" Adderley

• Things Are Getting Better (1958)
• Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago (1959)
• Cannonball Takes Charge (1959)
• African Waltz (1961)
• The Cannonball Adderley Quintet Plus (1961)

With Nat Adderley

• Much Brass (1959)
• That's Right! (1960)
• Naturally! (1961)

With Lorez Alexandria

• Alexandria the Great (Impulse!, 1964)
• More of the Great Lorez Alexandria (Impulse!, 1964)

With Gene Ammons

• Night Lights (1970)

With Walter Benton

• Out of This World (1960)

With Bob Brookmeyer

• Jazz is a Kick (1960)

With Joy Bryan

• Make the Man Love Me (1961)

With Donald Byrd

• Off to the Races (1958)

With Betty Carter

• Out There (1958)

With Paul Chambers

• Go... (1959)
• 1st Bassman (1960)

With James Clay

• The Sound of the Wide Open Spaces!!! (1960)

With Jimmy Cleveland

• Cleveland Style (1957)

With John Coltrane

• Coltrane Jazz (1961)

With King Curtis

• The New Scene of King Curtis (1960)
• Soul Meeting (1960)

With Miles Davis

• Kind of Blue (1959)
• Someday My Prince Will Come (1961)

With Dizzy Gillespie

• Dizzy and Strings (1954)
• Dizzy Atmosphere (1957)
• Birks' Works (1957)
• Dizzy in Greece (1957)
• Dizzy Gillespie at Newport (1957)

With Benny Golson

• Benny Golson's New York Scene (1957)
• The Modern Touch (1957)
• Turning Point (1962)

With Paul Gonsalves

• Gettin' Together (1960)

With Dexter Gordon

• The Jumpin' Blues (1970)

With Grant Green

• First Session (1960)

With Johnny Griffin

• Introducing Johnny Griffin (1956)
• A Blowin' Session (1957)

With Eddie Harris

• Cool Sax, Warm Heart (1964)

With Jimmy Heath

• On the Trail (1964)

With Bill Henderson

• Bill Henderson Sings (1959)

With Joe Henderson

• Four (1968)
• Straight, No Chaser (1968)

With Ernie Henry

• Seven Standards and a Blues (1957)
• Last Chorus (1957)

With Billie Holiday

• Lady Sings the Blues (1956)

With Helen Humes

• Swingin' with Humes (1961)

With Illinois Jacquet

• The Blues That's Me (1969)

With Eddie Jefferson

• Letter From Home (1962)

With J. J. Johnson

• The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 2 (1954)

With Elvin Jones & Philly Joe Jones

• Together! (1961)

With Sam Jones

• The Chant (1961)

With Roland Kirk

• Domino (1962)

With Steve Lacy

• Soprano Sax (1957)

With Abbey Lincoln

• That's Him (1957)
• It's Magic (1958)

With Booker Little

• Booker Little (1960)

With Chuck Magione

• Recuerdo (1962)

With Blue Mitchell

• Big 6 (1958)
• Blue Soul (1959)
• Blue's Moods (1960)
• A Sure Thing (1962)

With Hank Mobley

• Peckin' Time (1958)
• Soul Station (1960)
• Roll Call (1961)
• Workout (1961)
• Another Workout (1961)

With Milt Jackson and Wes Montgomery

• Bags Meets Wes! (1961)

With Wes Montgomery

• Full House (1962)
• Smokin' at the Half Note (1965)

With Lee Morgan

• Lee Morgan Vol.3 (1957)
• Here's Lee Morgan (1960)

With Mark Murphy

• Rah (1961)

With David Newman

• Staight Ahead (1960)

With Art Pepper

• Gettin' Together (1960)

With Sonny Red

• Out of the Blue (1959)

With Dizzy Reece

• Star Bright (1959)

With Wayne Shorter

• Introducing Wayne Shorter (1959)

With Sonny Rollins

• Sonny Rollins, Vol. 1 (1956)
• Newk's Time (1957)

With Don Sleet

• All Members (1961)

With Frank Strozier

• Fantastic Frank Strozier (1959)

With Art Taylor

• A.T.'s Delight (1960)

With Teri Thornton

• Devil May Care (1960)

With Phil Upchurch

• Feeling Blue (1967)

With Dinah Washington

• Back to the Blues (1962)

References

External links

• Wynton Kelly Discography at jazzdisco.org accessed August 19, 2010
• Wynton Kelly Discography with cover photos accessed August 19, 2010
• Wynton Kelly Hardbop Homepage accessed August 20, 2010
• Wynton Kelly Allmusic Biography accessed August 20, 2010