Dave Gelly

David "Dave" Gelly (born January 28, 1938 in Bexleyheath , Kent ) is a British jazz author and musician ( tenor saxophone , clarinet , bass clarinet ) of modern jazz .

Live and act

Gelly played the clarinet as a student and then switched to the alto saxophone . During his English studies and anthropology studies in Cambridge , he led the Cambridge University Jazz Band , with which he won the 1961 competition between British universities. During his studies he switched to the tenor and led his own band, with which he performed regularly from 1960 to 1962. Then he moved back to London, where he was a member of Blues by Six (with Charlie Watts ) and from 1964 the New Jazz Orchestra . He also led a quintet with Art Themes , then with Barbara Thompson . He then worked with Frank Ricotti . As a studio musician, he was involved in recordings of McGuinness Flint and Keith Emerson ; he also toured with blues musicians such as champion Jack Dupree . He also worked on projects with Jeff Scott, Neil Ardley and Alan Cohen before playing in Stylus with Brian Priestley . In 1974 he began reporting on jazz for The Observer ; he also moderated jazz programs for the BBC . Since 1986 he has published books on jazz musicians. He also led his own groups and performed with the swing beans .

Gelly is married to singer Annie Bright.

Prizes and awards

In 1999 Gelly was named Jazz Writer of the Year in the British Jazz Awards . He was made a member of the Order of the British Empire in 2005.

Book publications

• The Giants of Jazz. Macmillan 1987; ISBN 0028706811
• The Gramophone Jazz Good CD Guide , with Alun Morgan , Keith Shadwick , Steve Voce, Brian Priestley. Gramophone Publications 1995
• The Sax & Brass Book: Saxophones, Trumpets, and Trombones in Jazz, Rock, and Pop with Brian Priestley and Paul Trynka. Balafon Books 1998
• Icons of jazz. A History in Photography 1900-2000. Thunderbay 2000; ISBN 978-1571452689
• Masters Of Jazz Saxophone: The Story Of The Players And Their Music with Dave Alexander. Backbeat Books 2000; ISBN 978-0879306229
• Stan Getz - Nobody Else But Me. Backbeat Books 2002; ISBN 978-0879307295
• Django Reinhardt: Know the Man, Play the Music with Rod Fogg. Backbeat Books 2005; ISBN 978-0879308377
• Being Prez: The Life and Music of Lester Young. Oxford University Press 2007; ISBN 978-0195334777

Discographic notes

• Neil Ardley, Dave Gelly, Jon Hiseman , Ian Carr , Henry Lowther , Barbara Thompson , Norma Winstone : Mike Taylor Remembered (1973)
• Dave Gelly's Easy Swing: Strike A Light (2002)

Lexigraphic entries

• John Chilton Who's Who in British Jazz . Continuum International Publishing Group 2004; ISBN 0826472346

Web links

• Interview with Gelly (English)