Nancy Kelly

Acclaimed jazz singer Nancy Kelly also enjoys a solid fan base from around the globe for her classic swinging style. Ms.Kelly’s artistry takes us back to a time when jazz – including vocal jazz - was an authentic expression of real emotion.
Starting at age four in her hometown of Rochester, New York, Nancy studied piano, clarinet, drama and dance with private instructors, and later voice, at the Eastman School of Music. Over the course of an illustrious, five-decade career she has honed her trademark swing/bop take-no-prisoners, soulful swinging style in front of audiences across the U.S. and abroad, including concerts in Singapore, Switzerland, France, Turkey, Japan and a recent tour of Asia that included Hong Kong, Bangkok and Jakarta.

Nancy got her real education as house singer at Jewels, a jazz club in center city Philadelphia, where she shared the bill with the likes of Betty Carter, Houston Person, Etta Jones, Joey Defrancesco, Groove Holms, Jack McDuff and many more. "Rochester native Nancy Kelly is a charter member of the Upstate Burn Society, a loosely organized group that also includes Don Menza, Joe Romano and a number of other Jazz Illuminati from Upstate New York". Hot House Fl.

Nancy was twice named “Best Female Jazz Vocalist” in the DownBeat Readers’ Poll. She has recorded six critically acclaimed CDs, Her first recording “Live Jazz” reached #11 on the Billboard jazz charts. “Born to Swing” and her fourth recording, “Well Alright" feature guest tenor saxophonist, Houston Person. Nancy’s highly acclaimed “B That Way” enjoyed 8 solid weeks in the top 50 on the national JazzWeek charts and received rave reviews worldwide. Her most recent work, “Remembering Mark Murphy", was hailed as one of the top 20 Jazz recordings of 2019.