Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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KELLY, Wynton

(b 2 Dec. '31, Jamaica; d 12 April '71, Toronto) Piano. To USA c age four; played R&B from '43, late '40s with Lockjaw Davis, then accompanied Dinah Washington. With Dizzy Gillespie before and after military service '52--4; own trio '58, with Miles Davis '59--63. Played with natural clarity and exuberance; during and after the period with Miles he contributed to the tendency towards funk, but his own playing retained more integrity than that. Riverside (Milestone) LPs with Ernie Henry (alto sax; b 3 Sep. '26, Brooklyn; d 29 Dec. '57, NYC; played with Tadd Dameron '47, later Gillespie, Thelonious Monk), Blue Mitchell (LP Big Six), Clark Terry (Serenade To A Bus Seat), Nat Adderley (That's Right) etc. Own albums began with 10]im[ Blue Note trio set New Faces, New Sounds '51; complete Blue Note sessions issued in Japan as Piano Interpretations By Wynton Kelly. Wynton Kelly '58 on Riverside (later Keep It Moving on Milestone) had Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers; Philly Joe Jones added on some tracks; while with Miles he regularly worked with Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb (b 20 Jan. '29, Wash. DC), on Kelly Blue '59 adding Benny Golson and Adderley on some tracks. Vee-Jay LPs Kelly Great!, Kelly At Midnight '59--60 had Philly Joe instead of Cobb; Wynton Kelly '61 on Vee-Jay had Cobb, Chambers, Sam Jones on additional bass (some tracks were reissued with dubbed strings). After he left Miles he led a trio with Chambers and Cobb; Verve LPs '63--5 incl. Undiluted, Smokin' At The Half Note (with Wes Montgomery) again had some tracks reissued with large group dir. by Claus Ogerman dubbed. Blues On Purpose '65 on Xanadu, Full View '66 on Milestone were followed by In Concert '68 issued on Affinity, with Ron McLure replacing Chambers.