Born December 2, 1931, in Brooklyn, New York, jazz pianist Wynton Kelly's life was short, but the years he did have were filled with jazz and blues and countless collaborations with some of the great musicians. At the age of 16, he played piano on Hal Singer's Number 1 hit “Cornbread”. This propelled the young pianist into the limelight, and he recorded with singer Babs Gonzales, Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis and Hot Lips Page. His best-known work came in 1951 when he began playing in Dinah Washington's band. This position enhanced his reputation, and he was soon playing with Lester Young and Dizzy Gillespie. Signing with Blue Note Records, he released Piano Interpretations, his first album as a leader of a trio, in 1951. On the album, he was joined by bassists Oscar Pettiford and Franklin Skeet, and Lee Abrams. His music career came to a halt in 1952 when he was drafted into the army. After serving for two years, Kelly returned home and picked up where he left off, playing for Gillespie and Washington in their respective bands. He recorded with Billie Holiday in 1956, most famously on the track “Lady Sings the Blues”. As his standing in the industry gained momentum, Kelly found himself one of the most in-demand pianists in America. He began his most famous working relationship in 1959 with Miles Davis when he filled in for Davis' pianist Red Garland who was late for a gig. Davis replaced Garland with Kelly and they worked together for four years, putting out albums Kind of Blue and Someday My Prince Will Come. Wynton Kelly continued to record albums as a bandleader with various formations. His most popular releases were recorded with the Wynton Kelly Trio featuring Paul Chambers (double bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums). Their releases include It’s All Right! (1964) Undiluted (1965), Blues on Purpose (1965), and Full View (1966). The trio’s membership changed in the late 1960s with only Wynton Kelly himself as the sole original member. While working as a bandleader, he continued to perform with other artists including Wayne Shorter and Cannonball Adderley. On the night of April 12, 1971, Wynton Kelly died from an epileptic seizure at the age of 39.
