Dave Gelly

David Gelly
Born (1938-01-28) 28 January 1938 (age 88)
Bexleyheath, Kent, England
EducationSt Dunstan's College
Downing College, Cambridge
OccupationsJazz critic, musician, broadcaster
InstrumentsSaxophone
LabelsMainstem Records, Spotlight Records
Formerly ofNew Jazz Orchestra

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

Biography

Early life

Gelly was born in Bexleyheath, Kent, on 28 January 1938, and grew up in south London. He attended St Dunstan's College, and won a scholarship to read English under F. R. Leavis at Downing College, Cambridge.

Career

Gelly played with Art Themen, George Walden and Lionel Grigson[citation needed] 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.

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 also a teacher during the 1960s and 1970s at William Penn School, Dulwich.

Discography

As leader/co-leader
As sideman

Publications

References

  1. 1 2 Chilton, John (ed.), "GELLY, 'Dave' David", in Who's Who of British Jazz: 2nd Edition, Continuum, 2004, p. 147.
  2. 1 2 3 "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. ↑ Walden, George (2000). Lucky George: Memoirs of an Anti-Politician (2nd ed.). London: Penguin Books. p. 4. ISBN 9-780140-282214.
  6. ↑ Chilton, John (2004), Who's Who of British Jazz 2nd Edition, p. 147. Continuum, via Google Books. Retrieved 28 July 2013.