* En anglais uniquement
A superb accompanist loved by
Miles Davis and
Cannonball Adderley,
Wynton Kelly was also a distinctive soloist who decades later would be a strong influence on
Benny Green. He grew up in Brooklyn and early on played in R&B bands led by
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson,
Hal Singer, and
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis.
Kelly, who recorded 14 titles for Blue Note in a trio (1951), worked with
Dinah Washington,
Dizzy Gillespie, and
Lester Young during 1951-1952. After serving in the military, he made a strong impression with
Washington (1955-1957),
Charles Mingus (1956-1957), and the
Dizzy Gillespie big band (1957), but he would be most famous for his stint with
Miles Davis (1959-1963), recording such albums with
Miles as
Kind of Blue, At the Blackhawk, and
Someday My Prince Will Come. When he left
Davis,
Kelly took the rest of the rhythm section (bassist
Paul Chambers and drummer
Jimmy Cobb) with him to form his trio. The group actually sounded at its best backing
Wes Montgomery. Before his early death,
Kelly recorded as a leader for Blue Note, Riverside, Vee-Jay, Verve, and Milestone. ~ Scott Yanow