EARLY YEARS

Kelly grew up in the small town of Emporia, KS. His parents were music teachers, so the house was always full of music and instruments of all kinds. As a kid he played piano, cello, and trombone. By age 13, he had gravitated toward the bass. “I’ve just always been listening to bass,” Kelly recalls. “I don’t even remember the words to songs.” He identified with the role of the bass in music - out of the spotlight, yet essential and powerful.

Kelly entered Kansas State in 2002 and studied bass under his mentor, Dr. Wayne Goins. After graduating with his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Theory & Composition, he was invited to join the adjunct faculty at KSU.

Kelly was accepted to the graduate program at Florida State in 2009, to study with Rodney Jordan. “People can be confident about their talent, but when someone is confident because they’ve done the work, it comes through. That’s where I was trying to get to.” His time at Florida State culminated in a trio recording called “Rouxsteady,” for which Kelly penned original compositions and played 8-string guitar.

In 2011, Kelly got his first professional experience on a national level via Big League Productions based out of NYC. This included touring productions of My Fair Lady, Hello Dolly, and the first national tour of A Christmas Story. “I did 5 different runs that had me out for 3 months at a time. That’s 13 weeks of a whole mess of one-nighters in a row.” This stretch produced another album as a leader, entitled “A Periapsis Suite,” a thirty minute suite written for jazz quartet.

ATLANTA

Kelly has since established himself in Atlanta as both a player and a teacher, and his career now reflects the wide variety of musical experiences he has valued since childhood.

He spent a year as the touring bassist for roots/rock Grammy winners Larkin Poe, performing throughout the U.S. and Europe. These runs included Glastonbury Festival, Rock am Ring Festival, Rock im Park Festival, and opening for Queen at Rheinenergiestadion, in Cologne, Germany.

His list of performing and recording credits has expanded to also include Noah Guthrie, Grant Green Jr., Rhett Shull, Suzy Jones, Geoff Wood, The Electromatics, Sam Burchfield, Orquesta Macuba, and Kyshona Armstrong. Keeping one foot in the jazz scene, he has also performed alongside ATL jazz greats such as Tyrone Jackson, Kevin Bales, Lil John Roberts, Lavahi, Louis Heriveaux, Robert Boone, Dash Smith, Tony Hightower, Lori Williams, and Karla Harris. He also enjoys playing with his original groups, the Funk crew Track Suit Mafia, and the Alternative Jazz outfit BOOM! Trio.

TEACHING

Kelly has always been immersed in the world of music education. His teaching career began at age 20 while an undergraduate at Kansas State University, teaching private lessons out of a local guitar shop. This one-on-one setting came naturally to him and, after graduating, he was invited to join the adjunct faculty at KSU. Kelly went on to become the Graduate Teaching Assistant at Florida State University, and also taught locally at RAA Middle School, a performing arts magnet school. In the fall of 2024, he joined the staff of Morehouse College as the Adjunct Professor of Bass.

As a clinician, he has been featured at Washburn University’s Coleman Hawkins Jazz Camp, Florida State’s Summer Jazz Camp, Georgia State University’s Summer Jazz Program, and Bellevue East’s HS Jazz Festival.

Kelly also has his own home teaching studio and maintains an active roster of upright and electric bass students of all ages and levels. “I love the opportunity to connect with many different types of students in helping them make music a part of their lives.”