Welcome to trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso's official website.
Take your shoes off and make yourself at home.
Can I get you something to drink?
(above photo courtesy of Seymour G. Pond)
In case ya didn't know, things on this site that are underlined are links that you can click on, so click away, my friend! Also click on the categories to the left.
EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT:
NEWS FLASH: Sunday, July 6th I'll be leading a quartet at Bourbon Street Bar & Grill, on Restaurant Row, 346 West 46th Street, between 8th and 9th avenues, New York, NY 10036 (212) 245-2030 contact@bourbonny.com contact@frenchquartersny.com Noon to 4:00 pm brunch with John Gill on banjo (and maybe vocals and guitar if he so chooses), Kelly Friesen on bass, and a special mystery guest.You just have to come to find out who. This is a new place, and a new gig-- if we make a good first impression hopefully there'll be lots more gigs to be had there! So c'mon over! No cover, enjoy the New Orleans style grub, or just sit at the bar and have a refreshing adult beverage. Let the good times roll!
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Come see me play with "the EarRegulars" every Sunday night at the Ear Inn, 8-11:00-ish pm with Matt Munisteri on guitar and a variety of guest bassists and miscellaneous horn-or-whatever players. The Ear is at 326 Spring St. (between Greenwich and Washington streets), almost all the way to the West Side Highway. 212.226.9060. It's one of the oldest bars in NYC, with a very interesting history going back to 1817. No cover or minimum, but please visit our friend Phillup DeBucket (that's a subtle way of saying we have a tip jar). There's yummy inexpensive food served late, casual attire is fine, Victor, the coolest bartender ever, excellent waitstaff...and it's always a fun hang! This Sunday, July 6th, 8-11:00 pm at the Ear Inn the EarRegulars will be comprised of me, Jon Kellso on trumpet, Harvey Tibbs on trombone, Chris Flory on guitar, and Pat O'Leary on bass. Certain to be another swingin' hang!
Check out our friend Michael Steinman's blog. He's an excellent writer, plus he gets it. Read about "Jazz rapture at the Ear Inn" last Sunday, and about "Feeling the spirit" at the Ear recently (among his other pithy essays).
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Vince Giordano's Nighthawks have a new home:
I play Mondays steady (whenever possible--I'll be there July 7th and 14th, then August 11, 18, 25 after returning from Scotland) with Vince Giordano's Nighthawks (11-piece 20s and 30s style big band) at Sofia's Restaurant - Club Cache' [downstairs] at the Edison Hotel, 221 West 46th Street (between Broadway & 8th Ave), New York, New York 10036. Dinner & Dancing, 3 Sets: 8:00pm - 11:00pm. $15 cover + $15 food/drink minimum. Reservations: 212-719-5799
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My recent CD release is called, "Blue Roof Blues: A Love Letter to New Orleans," with Evan Christopher-clarinet, Matt Munisteri-guitar/banjo/vocal, Danton Boller-bass, and Marion Felder-drums. Contact me to get your copy, or Arbors Records. It is dedicated to all my pals in New Orleans, and all those affected by Hurricane Katrina. I'm very proud of this album, the musical chemistry is remarkable--these guys are some major players, in case you didn't know. We played some good old good ones, and some tunes I wrote for the occasion. Look on the Sounds or Sales pages of this website to read a glowing review by Joe Lang of Jersey Jazz.
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My even newer CD "Remembering Ruby," an homage to cornettist Ruby Braff, is also now available. It's the latest from Gen-Erik Records. Ruby was one of the greats, a musical role model and a friend. You can get your copy from me, or on eBay, or Amazon.com, and soon World's Records.
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Hey--just found out my out of print Arbors CDs are now available on iTunes! These were my 1st two CDs as a leader, "Chapter One," recorded in 1993, and "Chapter Two: The Plot Thickens," from 1995. At only $7.95 per album, you can't afford to NOT buy them!
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Check out my MySpace page, which is basically an alternate website, with a bunch of other fun photos. You can listen to some songs from my 2005 "Kellso's BC Buddies" CD there (and one track from Blue Roof Blues, and one from Chapter 2), and even download a couple of them for free. (The "BC" refers to British Columbia, as in Vancouver, Canada) http://www.myspace.com/jonerikkellso
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Regarding the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, I'd like to recommend a great organization to which you may donate:
The Jazz Foundation of America was named the Coordinator for the New Orleans Musicians Clinic as well as other groups in the Gulf Area who are helping New Orleanian musicians.
The New Orleans Musicians Clinic (NOMC) is a fantastic hands on organization that has the names and addresses of many great New Orleanian musicians because they have been running a FREE health clinic for musicians for years.
The Jazz Foundation of America addresses the longer term needs of jazz and blues artists who are experiencing hardships due to the hurricane(s). They have been raising funds and distributing money to the musicians; helping them find new or temporary homes, giving them their first month's rent, and replacing destroyed instruments.
Send donations to: Jazz Foundation of America; 322 West 48th Street 6th floor; NYC 10036; Director: Wendy Oxenhorn; Phone: 212.245.3999, Ext. 21.
You can also donate to this worthy cause on-line at their website: www.jazzfoundation.org
Also check out http://www.tipitinasfoundation.org/ , and New Orleans Music Resources: http://www.nomr.net/
Thank you very much for considering these options. New Orleans is like no place else in the world, let's not take it for granted. They still need our support.
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(for an explanation of whether that's a trumpet or cornet I'm playing, click above)