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Pat Kelley

Recognized for his signature touch, harmonic dexterity, bluesy melodies and sense of rhythm, guitarist Pat Kelley has enjoyed a steady and successful career in Los Angeles as a studio and touring musician, recording artist, composer, producer, arranger, vocalist, recording engineer, and educator.

An integral part of the Thornton School of Music Guitar Faculty at the University of Southern California for twenty-four years, two of Pat's books, Arpeggios for the Evolving Guitarist and Melodic Minor Guitar are part of the USC Thornton School of Music instructional series (Mel Bay Publications). Pat has also been on the faculty of the Monterey Jazz Festival Summer Jazz Camp, Guitar College Summer Guitar & Bass Camp, the University of Tulsa Summer Jazz Camp, and Interlochen Center for the Arts.

A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Pat grew up playing music with his Dad, other guitarists, singers, and bands, from the age of five. After majoring in music composition at the University of Tulsa, Pat moved to Southern California in the early 1970's where he has recorded and toured with George Benson, Natalie Cole, David Benoit, Ronnie Laws, Hubert Laws, Tom Scott, Al Jarreau, Chick Corea, Dave Brubeck, Dave Koz, Jane Monheit, Olivia Newton John, Melissa Manchester, Burt Bacharach, Jose Feliciano, and many others.

Performances with symphony orchestras include Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Houston, Atlanta, Tulsa, Denver, San Antonio, Auckland, Nashville, Toledo, and the Asia America Symphony Orchestra.

While recording hundreds of commercial jingles, records, films, and television shows, Pat also worked for several years as the guitarist in house bands on the Merv Griffin, Pat Sajak, and Carol Burnett television shows. He has also written more than one hundred-fifty compositions that have been recorded for CDs, film, television, and music libraries.

In 2003, Pat was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, joining past inductees Chet Baker, Oscar Pettiford, Lester Young, Charlie Christian, and Barney Kessel.

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Album Review

Mark Winkler: Old Friends

Read "Old Friends" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


The appeal of singer and lyricist Mark Winkler is not that he has an outstanding vocal instrument. Rather, it is uniquely unique; easily identifiable. Winkler has what Broadway composers once called a “lyricist's voice." It is a voice of a song writer that is honest and genuine and that is where Winkler gets to the listener. A serious artist, he never sounds as if he takes himself too seriously (much like Dean Martin). And, therein lies his charm. Winkler's voice ...

9
Album Review

George Kahn: DreamCatcher

Read "DreamCatcher" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


George Kahn is another one of those talented West Coast jazz pianists, in the fashion of Dave Brubeck, Ramsey Lewis, Vince Guaraldi and Wynton Kelly. His recorded output presents a sound with a clean, bright polish, and an engaging, easy swing. Each of his previous discs shines a light on the beauty of the mainstream, especially on his terrific 2018 outing Straight Ahead (Playing Records). His tenth album, Dreamcatcher, carries on with that tradition. The group is the ...

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Performance / Tour

Everette Devan And Pat Kelley July 5th In The Blue Room

Everette Devan And Pat Kelley July 5th In The Blue Room

Source: C. L. Burnett, American Jazz Museum

This Friday the Blue Room Jazz Club at the American Jazz Museum welcomes Everette DeVan and Pat Kelley. Everette DeVan grew up in Pueblo, Colorado where he attended the Colorado Conservatory of Music. He came to Kansas City, Missouri at the age of 18 and has made this his home ever since. He has been a featured Jazz Organist, well known locally, nationally and internationally for his long-standing contributions to the Jazz tradition. He was designated a State of Missouri ...

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Performance / Tour

George Kahn at the Jazz Bakery on March 4th: Quartet Features Guitarist Pat Kelley

George Kahn at the Jazz Bakery on March 4th: Quartet Features Guitarist Pat Kelley

Source: Imaginary Friends

West Coast Jazz Pianist, George Kahn, will be appearing at The Jazz Bakery on Wednesday evening, March 4th with sets at 8:00 PM and 9:30 PM. Joining him on stage will be MB Gordy (drums), Karl Vincent (bass) and Pat Kelley (guitar).

Pat Kelley has recorded eight CD's as a leader, toured in more than thirty countries as a performer, worked as a Los Angeles studio guitarist on hundreds of sessions for records, television, commercials, and motion pictures, and composed ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Old Friends

Cafe Pacific Records
2021

buy

DreamCatcher

Playing Records
2020

buy

I'll Stand Up

Blue Note
1989

buy

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