Dave Gelly MBE (born 28 January 1938) is a British jazz critic. A long-standing contributor to ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'', he was named Jazz Writer of the Year in the 1999 British Jazz Awards. Gelly is also a jazz saxophonist and broadcaster, presenting a number of shows for

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

including ''Night Owls'' for much of the 1980s.

Biography

Gelly was born in

Bexleyheath Bexleyheath is a town in southeast London, England, in the London Borough of Bexley. It had a population of approximately 15,600 in 2021 and is southeast of Charing Cross. It is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in London ...

, Kent, on 28 January 1938, and grew up in south London."Authors: Dave Gelly"
''Jazz Journal''. Retrieved 28 April 2019. He attended St Dunstan's College, Catford, and won a scholarship to read English under

F. R. Leavis Frank Raymond "F. R." Leavis ( ; 14 July 1895 – 14 April 1978) was an English literary critic of the early-to-mid-twentieth century. He taught for much of his career at Downing College, Cambridge, and later at the University of York. Leav ...

Downing College, Cambridge Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge and currently has around 950 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college to be added to the university between 1596 and 1869, and is often described as the oldest of ...

. Gelly played with

Art Themen Arthur Edward George Themen (born 26 November 1939) is a British jazz saxophonist and formerly orthopaedic surgeon. Critic John Fordham has described him as "an appealing presence on the British jazz circuit for over 40 years.... Originally a ...

and Lionel Grigson in the Cambridge University band, and from the mid-1960s co-led his own quartets and quintets with

Frank Ricotti Frank E. Ricotti (born 31 January 1949) is an English jazz vibraphonist and percussionist. Early life and education Frank E. Ricotti was born in St Pancras, London, England; his father was a drummer. Bill Ashton, founder of the National ...

, with Jeff Scott, and with Barbara Thompson. Chilton, John (2004)
''Who's Who of British Jazz'' 2nd Edition
p. 147. Continuum, via Google Books. Retrieved 28 July 2013. Gelly was a member of the New Jazz Orchestra, directed by

Neil Ardley Neil Richard Ardley (26 May 1937 – 23 February 2004) was a prominent English jazz composer and pianist, who also made his name as the author of more than 100 popular books on science and technology, and on music. Early years Neil Ardley ...

, which also featured

Ian Carr Ian Carr (21 April 1933 – 25 February 2009) was a Scottish jazz musician, composer, writer, and educator. Carr performed and recorded with the Rendell-Carr quintet and jazz-fusion band Nucleus (band), Nucleus, and was an associate professor a ...

Jon Hiseman Philip John Albert "Jon" Hiseman (21 June 1944 – 12 June 2018) was an English drummer, audio engineer, recording engineer, record producer, and Music publisher (popular music), music publisher. He played with the Graham Bond Organisation, wi ...

, Barbara Thompson, Mike Gibbs, Don Rendell, and Trevor Tomkins. Gelly was a teacher during the 1960s and 1970s at William Penn School,

Dulwich Dulwich (; ) is an area in south London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark, with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth, and consists of Dulwich Village, East Dulwich, West Dulwich, and the Southwark half of H ...

Discography

;As leader/co-leader *2001: ''Strike A Light'' (Mainstem Records) ;As sideman *1968: ''Le Dejeuner sur L'Herbe'' – The New Jazz Orchestra *1971: ''A Symphony of Amaranths'' – Neil Ardley *1973: ''Mike Taylor Remembered'' (with Jon Hiseman, Barbara Thompson, Ian Carr, Henry Lowther,

Norma Winstone Norma Ann Winstone MBE (born 23 September 1941) is an English jazz singer and lyricist. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is best known for her contributions to improvised vocal music. Musicians with whom she has worked include ...

Ron Mathewson Rognvald Andrew Mathewson (19 February 1944 – 3 December 2020) was a British jazz double bassist and bass guitarist. During his career, Mathewson performed with Ronnie Scott, but also recorded with Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Joan Armatra ...

, Stan Sulzmann, Alan Branscombe and Chris Pyne, among others) *2003: ''John Williams's Tenorama'' (Spotlite Records)

Publications

*''The Giants of Jazz'' (Schirmer Books, 1986) with

Miles Kington Miles Beresford Kington (13 May 1941 – 30 January 2008) was a British journalist, musician (a double bass player for Instant Sunshine and other groups) and broadcaster. He is also credited with the invention of Franglais, a fictional language ...

*''Masters of Jazz Saxophone: The Story of the Players and Their Music'' (2000) *''Stan Getz: Nobody Else But Me'' (2002) *''Being Prez: The Life and Music of Lester Young'' (Equinox, 2007) *''An Unholy Row'' (Equinox, 2014)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gelly, Dave 1938 births Alumni of Downing College, Cambridge BBC Radio 2 presenters British music critics Jazz writers Living people New Jazz Orchestra members The Observer people Members_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire