Wynton Kelly

Wynton Charles Kelly (December 2, 1931 – April 12, 1971) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his lively, blues-based playing and as one of the finest accompanists in jazz. He began playing professionally at the age of 12 and was pianist on a No. 1 R&B hit at the age of 16. His recording debut as a leader occurred three years later, around the time he started to become better known as an accompanist to singer Dinah Washington, and as a member of trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie's band. This progress was interrupted by two years in the United States Army, after which Kelly worked again with Washington and Gillespie, and played with other leaders. Over the next few years, these included instrumentalists Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Wes Montgomery, and Sonny Rollins, and vocalists Betty Carter, Billie Holiday, and Abbey Lincoln.

Kelly attracted the most attention as part of Miles Davis' band from 1959, including an appearance on the trumpeter's Kind of Blue, often mentioned as the best-selling jazz album ever. After leaving Davis in 1963, Kelly played with his own trio, which recorded for several labels and toured the United States and internationally. His career did not develop much further, and he had difficulty finding enough work late in his career. Kelly, who was known to have epilepsy, died in a hotel room in Canada following a seizure, aged 39.

Birth and Death Data: Born (Brooklyn (borough of New York City, New York, United States)), Died April 12, 1971 (Toronto (capital and largest city of the province of Ontario, Canada) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1951 - 1952

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Mercury 3877 10-in. 2/27/1951 Fine, fine daddy Walter Buchanan Orchestra ; Dinah Washington instrumentalist, piano  
Mercury 3878 10-in. 2/27/1951 Please send me someone to love Walter Buchanan ; Dinah Washington instrumentalist, piano  
Mercury 3879 10-in. 2/27/1951 Ain't nobody's business but my own Walter Buchanan ; Dinah Washington instrumentalist, piano  
Mercury 3880 10-in. 2/27/1951 I'm so lonely I could cry Walter Buchanan Orchestra ; Dinah Washington instrumentalist, piano  
Mercury 4223 10-in. 9/24/1951 New blowtop blues Wynton Kelly ; Dinah Washington instrumentalist, piano  
Mercury 4369 10-in. 6/1/1951 Be fair to me Ike Carpenter Orchestra ; Dinah Washington instrumentalist, piano  
Mercury 4731 10-in. 1/18/1952 Wheel of fortune Jimmy Cobb Orchestra ; Dinah Washington instrumentalist, piano  
Mercury 4732 10-in. 1/18/1952 Tell me why Jimmy Cobb Orchestra ; Dinah Washington instrumentalist, piano  
Mercury 4733 10-in. 1/18/1952 Trouble in mind Dinah Washington instrumentalist, piano  
Mercury 4898 10-in. 3/24/1952 Stormy weather Nook Schreier Orchestra ; Dinah Washington instrumentalist, piano  
Mercury 9220 10-in. 5/6/1952 Pillow blues Dinah Washington instrumentalist, piano  
Mercury 9222 10-in. 5/6/1952 Double dealing daddy Dinah Washington instrumentalist, piano  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kelly, Wynton," accessed January 3, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/407649.

Kelly, Wynton. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 3, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/407649.

"Kelly, Wynton." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 3 January 2026.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/407649

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