dave kelbie
"Dave Kelbie's rhythm guitar is a joy in itself, firm but relaxed, clearly executed but never obtrusive. Dave knows exactly the best chord voicing for every moment and will add spice with the occasional flourish or series of brisk arpeggios reminiscent of Eddie Lang"
Charles Alexander
Over the last 20 years Dave Kelbie has been a prominent accompanist to many of the worlds leading Jazz soloists and Gypsy musicians. He has an extended professional role as a tour promoter and a record producer.
Lejazzetal, set up by Kelbie in 1989, has won international recognition for initiating and promoting the highest quality jazz and European Gypsy music projects on tour worldwide. At the core of the company’s work is a strong emphasis on Gypsy culture through which has come partnerships with many of Europe’s most gifted Roma musicians. Lejazzetal has created a platform for many previously unknown Gypsy groups with a role as a catalyst for the further career development.
Lejazzetal Records has become a leading company in representing acoustic jazz and Gypsy music internationally. Started in 1990 with the first release by Manouche guitarist Fapy Lafertin, and the latest by Tcha Limberger’s Kalotaszeg Trio. High praise has come for the select catalogue of 11 titles.
Dave Kelbie held the whole night together with some great chord work
A self taught guitarist, Dave Kelbie’s first professional engagements were with the celebrated Gypsy guitarist from Holland Fapy Lafertin. He initiated the first European tour in 1989 with the quartet Lejazz and this partnership has lasted until recently with CD releases on Lejazzetal Records including "Swing Guitars" and the highly acclaimed "Hungaria" with tours as recent as 2004.
Through his alliance with Lafertin have come performances with musicians such as Hungarian violinist Roby Lakatos, USA Clarinettist Bob Wilber, Bireli Lagrene and Lollo Meier.
Until recently, the groundbreaking UK-based, multi-national Balkan music cooperative Szapora is perhaps his best known project. Szapora's fore-runner, The Budapest Cafe orchestra was formed in 1996 after a chance meeting with Bosnian singers Mirella & Tea Hodzic. The band has received much praise for it's concerts Europe-wide and consistently featured some of the finest UK musicians such as Christian Garrick, Dylan Fowler, and Eddie Hession. Szapora has released three CDs on Lejazzetal.
Kelbie continues to work in his own quartet with the great Angelo Debarre, the lyrical Lollo Meier, and UK legend John Etheridge. With his last project though, Evan Christopher’s Django a la Creole, Kelbie has become one of the most sought after rhythm guitarists on the worldwide stage.
"Kelbie with a remarkable rhythm on his guitar delivers an impressive performance"
Holly Moors - Moors Magazine, Holland
"Kelbie always provides propulsive rhythm guitar"
Kenny Mathieson - Inverness Courrier
"Dave Kelbie’s rhythm guitar is undoubtedly one of the best in the world"
John-Pierre Jackson - Classica
"Kelbie is the motor tonight, providing a strict, subtle pulse - whatever the tempo"
John Walters - The Guardian
"Kelbie maintains the pulse flawlessly at any speed from zero to a hundred and twenty'
Ian Mann - Jazzmann
"Sweet Chorus is propelled by the partnership of the guitarist Dave Kelbie and the bassist Malcolm Creese"
Clive Davis - The Times
"The Rolls-Royce and Jaguar of British rhythm sections"
Sebastien Lege - Djangostation
"Dave Kelbie produced such a solid percussive rhythm you could hear why the original Quintette didn’t use a drummer"
Keith Clark - Crackerbox
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