George Kelly

George Kelly stands out as the sole musician who held regular positions in two distinct lineups of the Savoy Sultans, first with Al Cooper during the 1940s and later with Panama Francis some four decades afterward. He started piano lessons at age nine, then moved to alto saxophone and ultimately settled on tenor. Early professional work kept him busy around Florida, where Panama Francis served as one of the first sidemen in Kelly’s group the Cavaliers, and he also performed with Zack Whyte in 1938. Once settled in New York, the tenor saxophonist joined the Sultans from 1941 through 1944. Additional engagements took him alongside Rex Stewart in 1946, bassist Lucille Dixon from 1948 to 1950, and Tiny Grimes’ Highlanders. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s he performed mainly with lesser-known ensembles except for a 1965 stint with Cozy Cole; in 1970 he traveled to Europe with Jay McShann and Tiny Grimes, and from 1970 to 1976 he played in the backup band for the Ink Spots. His final ten years brought greater visibility, including a 1976 European trip with Ram Ramirez plus regular work with the revived Savoy Sultans and the Harlem Jazz & Blues Band. Kelly produced a robust tenor sound rooted in the swing period yet attentive to subsequent stylistic shifts. Beyond numerous sideman dates between 1976 and 1984, he led recording sessions for Dharma in 1976, Black & Blue in 1979, Barron and Vanacore in 1982, Sam Hot in 1984, and Stash in 1984 on a Don Redman tribute album.