Dave Gelly MBE (born 28 January 1938) is a British jazz critic. A long-standing contributor to The Observer, he was named Jazz Writer of the Year in the 1999 British Jazz Awards. Gelly is also a jazz saxophonist and broadcaster, presenting a number of shows for BBC Radio 2 including Night Owls for much of the 1980s.

Dave Gelly
Born (1938-01-28) 28 January 1938 (age 86)
Bexleyheath, Kent, England
EducationSt Dunstan's College
Alma materDowning College, Cambridge
Occupation(s)Jazz critic, saxophonist, broadcaster

Biography

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Gelly was born in Bexleyheath, Kent, on 28 January 1938, and grew up in south London.[1][2] He attended St Dunstan's College, Catford, and won a scholarship to read English under F. R. Leavis at Downing College, Cambridge.[2][3] Gelly played with Art Themen[4] and Lionel Grigson in the Cambridge University band, and from the mid-1960s co-led his own quartets and quintets with Frank Ricotti, with Jeff Scott, and with Barbara Thompson.[5] Gelly was a member of the New Jazz Orchestra, directed by Neil Ardley, which also featured Ian Carr, Jon Hiseman, Barbara Thompson, Mike Gibbs, Don Rendell, and Trevor Tomkins. Gelly was a teacher during the 1960s and 1970s at William Penn School, Dulwich.[2]

Discography

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As leader/co-leader
  • 2001: Strike A Light (Mainstem Records)
As sideman

Publications

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  • The Giants of Jazz (Schirmer Books, 1986) with Miles Kington
  • Masters of Jazz Saxophone: The Story of the Players and Their Music (2000)
  • Stan Getz: Nobody Else But Me (2002) ISBN 0-87930-729-3
  • Being Prez: The Life and Music of Lester Young (Equinox, 2007)
  • An Unholy Row (Equinox, 2014)

References

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  1. ^ Chilton, John (ed.), "GELLY, 'Dave' David", in Who's Who of British Jazz: 2nd Edition, Continuum, 2004, p. 147.
  2. ^ a b c "Authors: Dave Gelly", Jazz Journal. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Cambridge Tripos Results", The Times, 23 June 1960.
  4. ^ Art Themen biography. David Taylor's British jazz website. Retrieved 28 July 2013. Archived 2013-04-30 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ^ Chilton, John (2004), Who's Who of British Jazz 2nd Edition, p. 147. Continuum, via Google Books. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
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