Peck Kelley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Peck Kelley | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Dickson Kelley |
| Born | October 22, 1898 |
| Origin |  Houston, Texas, United States |
| Died | December 26, 1980 (aged 82) |
| Genre(s) | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist Bandleader |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Label(s) | Arcadia Records |
| Associated acts | Jack Teagarden Louis Prima Pee Wee Russell |
John Dickson "Peck" Kelley (22 October 1898–26 December 1980) was an American jazz pianist born in Houston, Texas. Kelley was best known for his 1920s band Peck's Bad Boys, which included Jack Teagarden and Pee Wee Russell, among others.
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[edit] Early life
John Dickson "Peck" Kelley was born in Houston, Texas on October 22, 1898.[1]
[edit] Career
Kelley rarely played anywhere outside of Texas. Early in his career he did perform in Missouri and Louisiana, but the politics of the worker's union at the time combined with the overall hassle of obtaining permits prompted him to return to Texas.[2]
[edit] Peck's Bad Boys
During the 1920s Kelley was a popular bandleader who led his own band, Peck's Bad Boys. The group included several jazz musicians that would go on to forge successful recording careers of their own, players like Jack Teagarden, Louis Prima, Terry Shand, Wingy Manone, Leon Roppolo and Pee Wee Russell. Despite the apparent success of this group, no recordings survive from this period.[2][3][1][4]
Throughout his career he repeatedly turned down offers by other musicians of the day to play outside of Texas, offers from artists such as Bing Crosby, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey and Paul Whiteman. However, he did perform in St. Louis, Missouri (1925), Shreveport, Louisiana (1927) and New Orleans, Louisiana (1934).[1] Kelley joined the Dick Shannon quartet in 1957, from which the only studio recordings from this musician have survived. They were released by Commodore Records in 1983 as the "Peck Kelley Jam Sessions, Volumes 1 & 2". However, some private recordings of this same period have been released on the Arkadia record label.[2][1]
[edit] Personal life
Throughout his career Kelley wished to remain anonymous, a private man who did not wish fame for himself.[2] It is commonly accepted by jazz historians that the 1930s Will Bradley hit "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" is in reference and tribute to Kelley.[1] Eventually Peck became blind and developed Parkinson's Disease, dying on December 26, 1980 at 82.
[edit] Discography
| Year | Album | Leader | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | "Peck Kelley" | Peck Kelley | Arkadia Records |
| 1950s | "Out of Obscurity" | Peck Kelley | Arkadia Records |
| 1957 | "Peck Kelley Jam Volumes 1 & 2" | Dick Shannon | Commodore Records |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Yanow, Scott (2001). Classic Jazz. Backbeat Books, pp. 127. ISBN 0879306599.
- ^ a b c d Koster, Rick (2000). Texas Music. St. Martin's Press, p. 309. ISBN 0312254253.
- ^ Yanow, Scott (2001). Trumpet Kings: The Players Who Shaped the Sound of Jazz Trumpet. Backbeat Books, p. 240. ISBN 0879306084.
- ^ Walker, Leo (1989). The Big Band Almanac. Da Capo Press, p. 393. ISBN 0306803453.
