Biography

An excellent hot jazz trumpeter, Jon-Erik Kellso's playing on several Arbors recordings in the mid-'90s put him near the top of his field. After attending Wayne State University, he played with the New McKinney's Cotton Pickers and J.C. Heard's Orchestra. Kellso moved to New York in 1989 and was soon working with a who's who of mainstream jazz, including Dan Barrett, Dick Hyman, Kenny Davern, Howard Alden, and Marty Grosz. A member of James Dapogny's Chicago Jazz band and Vince Giordano's Nighthawks, Kellso has appeared on record dates, including with Rick Fay and the Magnificent Seven; his debut session as a leader was for Arbors in 1993. Since then, he has continued to tour and integrate himself into the mainstream jazz scene, recording with heroes like Johnny Varro and receiving critical praise for his mastery of the Puje, a handcrafted wind instrument that is a cross between a cornet and a trumpet. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi