Dave Gelly | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 January 1938 Bexleyheath, Kent, England |
| Education | St Dunstan's College |
| Alma mater | Downing College, Cambridge |
| Occupation(s) | Jazz critic, saxophonist, broadcaster |
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.
Biography
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
- As leader/co-leader
- 2001: Strike A Light (Mainstem Records)
- As sideman
- 1968: Le Dejeuner sur L'Herbe – The New Jazz Orchestra
- 1971: A Symphony of Amaranths – Neil Ardley
- 1973: Mike Taylor Remembered (with Jon Hiseman, Barbara Thompson, Ian Carr, Henry Lowther, Norma Winstone, Ron Mathewson, Stan Sulzmann, Alan Branscombe and Chris Pyne, among others)
- 2003: John Williams's Tenorama (Spotlite Records)
Publications
- 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
- ↑ Chilton, John (ed.)"GELLY, 'Dave' David", in Who's Who of British Jazz: 2nd Edition, Continuum, 2004, p. 147.
- 1 2 3 'Authors: Dave Gelly', Jazz Journal, Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ↑ 'Cambridge Tripos Results', Times, 23 June 1960.
- ↑ Art Themen biography Archived 2013-04-30 at the Wayback Machine David Taylor's British jazz website. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ↑ Chilton, John (2004) Who's Who of British Jazz 2nd Edition, p. 147. Continuum At Google Books. Retrieved 28 July 2013.