Dave Kelbie
Dave Kelbie
THE RHYTHMIC RUMBLING OF A FOLKSY FREIGHT TRAIN
Dave Kelbie has dedicated his professional career to playing rhythm. Over the past 35 years, he has been a prominent accompanist to many of the world’s leading jazz soloists, celebrated musicians in the Gypsy jazz scene, and numerous artists in world music with a rep for a hard-hitting approach to accompanying rhythm. His involvement in numerous international projects has led to multiple awards and nominations.
HOT CLUB DE FRANCE 2023 AWARD ‘SMALL ENSEMBLES’ with The Viper Club
SUNDAY TIMES JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2020 for Blue Book of Storyville
BEST OF THE BEAT 2020 – OFFBEAT USA
THE TIMES TOP 10 JAZZ ALBUMS of 2019 with The Complete Morton Project
SONGLINES MUSIC AWARD NOMINATED 2015 for Fekete éjszaka, borulj a világra by The Budapest Gypsy Orchestra
SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 JAZZ ALBUMS 2014 with Django a la Creole ‘Live’
DAILY TELEGRAPH TOP 30 JAZZ ALBUMS 2014 with Django a la Creole ‘Live’
THE SCOTSMAN TOP 10 JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2014 with Django a la Creole ‘Live’
CTLIVE TOP 10 JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2014 with Django a la Creole ‘Live’
OFFBEAT MAGAZINE TOP 50 LOUISIANA ALBUM RELEASES OF 2014 with Django a la Creole ‘Live’
JAZZTIMES TOP 50 CDS OF 2014 with Django a la Creole ‘Live’
ANNUAL JAZZ CRITICS POLL 2014 with Django a la Creole ‘Live’
SUNDAY TIMES JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2010 for Finesse with Django a la Creole
SUNDAY TIMES top 100 CDs of 2008 for Django a la Creole by Django a la Creole
Kelbie’s rhythm guitar is undoubtedly one of the best in the world
CLASSICA FRANCE
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
DAVE KELBIE
Dave Kelbie has dedicated his professional career to playing rhythm. Over the past 35 years, he has been a prominent accompanist to many of the world’s leading jazz soloists, celebrated musicians in the Gypsy jazz scene, and numerous artists in world music with a rep for a hard-hitting approach to accompanying rhythm. His involvement in numerous international projects has led to multiple awards and nominations.
Kelbie’s first professional gigs in 1987 were with the Gypsy guitarist from Holland Fapy Lafertin, launching a decade of touring which has continued with the recording alongside celebrity clarinetist Evan Christopher of ‘A Summit in Paris’ and a quartet with the great Tcha Limberger and Vilmos Csikos.
His first band released two iconic CDs Swing Guitars 1994 & Hungaria 1996. Two seminal recordings viewed by many as historic recordings majestic for their music as they are for their sound and the definitive Gypsy jazz albums since the last recordings Reinhardt’s Quintet of the Hot Club of France. They set the stage for a career producing music and were re-released in 2013 as a double CD, 94-96 The Recordings. Kelbie leads the UK independent label Lejazzetal Records.
In 2002 he built a quartet around the prodigious French guitarist Angelo Debarre with the violinist Christian Garrick & bass groove merchant Pete Kubryk-Townsend. An electrifying group that reignited interest in late Reinhardt compositions which toured for seven years to much critical acclaim from audience & media.
A memorable departure from the jazz was the pioneering UK-based multi-national Balkan music cooperative Szapora. Formed in 1996 as The Budapest Cafe orchestra, the band was a game changer in the European Balkan music scene consistently featuring some of the finest European musicians and electrified audiences the world over with enthralling performances and three award winning albums.
For 25 yrs Kelbie has held the rhythm seat to UK guitar legend John Etheridge and his band Sweet Chorus, and more recently London’s super stylish and world-travelled vintage jazz band The Dime Notes.
With three recent projects Kelbie has become a very much sought as a rhythm guitarist on the world stage; with New Orleans clarinetist Evan Christopher and Django a la Creole, described as the most graceful band of its time by The Times and receiving countless awards; with ‘Banjo Hall of Fame’ New Orleans banjoist Don Vappie & Jazz Creole with whom he produced The Times jazz album of 2021; with Tcha Limberger and Jerome Etcheberry to form alongside Paris bassist Sebastien Girardot, the Stuff Smith inspired The Viper Club.
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Classic Jazz
The Blue Book of Storyville by Don Vappie & Jazz Creole
Price range: £6.99 through £12.00 -
Gypsy Jazz, Jazz
Room 301 sessions by the George Washingmachine Quartet
Price range: £6.99 through £12.00 -
Classic Jazz, Gypsy Jazz
Finesse by Evan Christopher’s Django a la Creole
Price range: £6.99 through £7.99 -
Gypsy Jazz
International Gypsy Swing guitar festival – Triple CD by Various Artists
Price range: £14.98 through £27.00 -
Gypsy Jazz
‘Live’ in Foix by the Tcha Limberger trio with Mozes Rosenberg
Price range: £6.99 through £12.00 -
Classic Jazz, Gypsy Jazz
A Summit in Paris by Evan Christopher and Fapy Lafertin
Price range: £6.99 through £7.99
Check out Dave Kelbie on Soundcloud
Kelbie’s rhythm guitar is undoubtedly one of the best in the world
CLASSICA FRANCE
Kelbie is the motor tonight, providing a strict, subtle pulse – whatever the tempo
THE GUARDIAN UK
The rhythmic rumbling of a folksy freight train
JAZZ DA GAMA USA
Dave Kelbie’s rhythmic guitar and Sébastien Girardot’s pulsating bass form the foundation on which the music breathes and communicates — every note alive
KOLNER STADT-ANZEIGER G
Kelbie with a remarkable rhythm on his guitar delivers an impressive performance
MOORS MAGAZINE HOLLAND
Kelbie always provides propulsive rhythm guitar
INVERNESS COURRIER UK
Kelbie maintains the pulse flawlessly at any speed from zero to a hundred and twenty
JAZZMANN UK
Sweet Chorus is propelled by the partnership of the guitarist Kelbie and the bassist Creese
THE TIMES UK
The Rolls-Royce and Jaguar of British rhythm sections
DJANGOSTATION FRANCE
Kelbie produced such a solid percussive rhythm you could hear why the original Quintette didn’t use a drummer
CRACKERBOX UK
Kelbie sets the direction with stoic calm
KARL LEITNER G
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