Nancy Kelly (jazz singer)
Nancy Kelly | |
---|---|
![]() Kelly at Jazz N Caz in 2018 | |
Born | Nancy Ruth Kelly October 12, 1950 |
Website | nancykelly |
Nancy Kelly is a jazz singer known for blues, swing, and bebop music.
Biography[]
Kelly was born October 12, 1950[1] in Rochester, New York and began studying music at the age of four. She studied voice at the Eastman School of Music and studied piano, clarinet, drama and dance with private instructors. She gravitated to jazz because of the freedom to improvise and then formed her own group.
Career[]
Nancy has performed with:
- The Nelson Riddle Orchestra
- The Benny Goodman Orchestra
- Houston Person
- Harry Allen
- Joey Defrancesco
- Mark Murphy
- Clayton Cameron
- Eric Reed
- Tamir Hendelman
- Randy Brecker
Nancy has shared billing with:
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Chick Corea
- Little Jimmy Scott
- Dianne Reeves
- New York Voices
- George Benson
- World Saxophone Quartet
- Terry Gibbs
- Eddie Gomez
- Dave Brubeck
- McCoy Tyner
- Diane Schuur
- Roberta Flack
- Michael McDonald
In 2007 Kelly was honored to take part in the Visiting Songbirds Series along with Nancy King and Rebecca Parris at Bake's Place in Washington State.[2]
Discography[]
- 1988 Live Jazz (Amherst)
- 1997 Singin’ & Swingin’ (Amherst)
- 2006 Born to Swing (Amherst)
- 2009 Well, Alright! (Saying It With Jazz)
- 2014 B That Way (Bluebay)
- 2019 Remembering Mark Murphy (SubCat)[3]
Awards and honors[]
- 2018 Jazz N Caz Award[4]
- Unsung Heroine Award ... for achievements in music National Organization of Women
- "Best Female Jazz Vocalist” in the Downbeat Reader's Poll in two separate years[5]
- Syracuse Area Music (SAMMY) Awards[6] - Syracuse, New York :
Hall of Fame | 2006 | Nancy Kelly |
Best Jazz Vocalist | 1999 | Nancy Kelly |
Best Jazz Vocalist | 1993 | Nancy Kelly |
Best Jazz Group | 1993 | Nancy Kelly and the Little Big Band |
References[]
- ^ Jazz, All About. "Nancy Kelly @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz Musicians. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- ^ "Bake's Place to Host Visiting Songbirds Series". DownBeat Magazine. 2007-12-20. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- ^ Nancy Kelly, Remembering Mark Murphy. Review by Alex Henderson, NYCJR, July 2019, Issue 207, page 14. Retrieved 2019-07-04.
- ^ Hall, J.T. "Acclaimed singer Nancy Kelly to be honored at Cazenovia jazz event/". Syracuse New Times. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
- ^ University, Office of Web Communications, Cornell. "Nancy Kelly Quartet--JazzSpacesIthaca". Cornell. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- ^ "Syracuse Singers Soar on New CDs - Syracuse New Times". www.syracusenewtimes.com. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- ^ "Recipients". The SAMMYS. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
External links[]
Categories:
- 1950 births
- Living people
- American women jazz singers
- American jazz singers
- 21st-century American women singers
- 21st-century American singers