Grace Kelly

[Hot Ptah]

I have been hearing very enthusiastic eyewitness accounts, and reading very positive reviews, of a 14 year old alto saxophone player, Grace Kelly. From what I have heard and read, she is a remarkable player already, in a league above the "young lions" of the past who have been overhyped.

Has anyone heard her playing in concert?

[brownie]

Last time I caught sight of Grace Kelly was at her funeral in Monaco in September 1982...

[Hot Ptah]

Here's an example of a review which mentions Grace Kelly, from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

Jazz Great Morgan Wows Home Crowd

By MIKE DREW

Special to the Journal Sentinel

Posted: May 13, 2007

It's unlikely that, in the storied history of the Hal Leonard Jazz series at the Pabst Theater, there has been a more remarkable concert than the stunner that 750 lucky souls caught Saturday night.

Before a note was played, drama resonated. The night marked the return home of alto sax giant Frank Morgan, 73. In the second comeback of a drama-filled career - first from drug addiction and prison, this time from a stroke - Morgan played wonderfully, with lush tonality, power and passion.

He brought along a veteran rhythm section that backed him impeccably and a blazing young trumpet star. A Katrina survivor, Maurice Brown is transplanted in Chicago.

What gave the evening a "star is born" dramatic tension was the playing of an amazing alto saxophonist, Grace Kelly. Just 14, she held her own in this extremely fast company. Morgan found her in Boston, where she attends two conservatories.

She never lost her poise, trading solos with Morgan, Brown and pianist Ronnie Mathews, sometimes at breakneck tempos, without rehearsal. Navigating Jerome Kern's legendary chord changes on "All the Things You Are" was equivalent, perhaps, to mastering her conservatory finals.

If so, successfully following Morgan and Brown's 16th-note sprints through "Cherokee" became an impromptu doctoral thesis. The changes on its bridge shot by faster than you can tap your toes. But Kelly, who'd never played it professionally, eluded all shoals, tingling spines.

Among the event's other apexes was a series of solo "trades" between bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Billy Hart that moved from eight measures to four-, two- and one-bar exchanges before merging seamlessly. Brown's reconstruction of "Misty" was superb, his barely amplified fluegelhorn and muted trumpet filling the Pabst with lyrical, complex lines.

Obviously pleased at the chemistry between his senior rhythm section and junior horn players, paterfamilias Morgan beamed and applauded.

He ended the extraordinary evening playing "Goodbye," a farewell to a city and friends that, he said, "I'll always love." Fans who closed their eyes could picture a younger Morgan perfecting that mournful solo in one of the prison cells he called home for decades.

The poignancy was palpable.

[Hot Ptah]

I have just learned that Kelly has her own website, www.gracekellymusic.com, for those who want to learn more.

[Rooster_Ties]

From her website...

Ornette Coleman & Grace

[JSngry]

Immense happyfunsunshinedreamscometrue photo gallery, except for this one...

Go figure.

[Chuck Nessa]

She doesn't look like one of the Kelly clan.

[kh1958]

I'm going to New York tomorrow and planning to see Frank Morgan at Jazz Standard on Saturday or Sunday night, so it appears I will also be seeing Grace Kelly, according to her website.

[AllenLowe]

she's no Pee Wee Marquette -

[Dan Gould]

I'm going to New York tomorrow and planning to see Frank Morgan at Jazz Standard on Saturday or Sunday night, so it appears I will also be seeing Grace Kelly, according to her website.

Cool. Please report back.

[AllenLowe]

has anyone actually listened to her? She plays very well - for her age - basically sounds like a talented 14 year old still finding the changes. Sings with variable pitch, scats badly. Needs to wait a few years before she's worth an actual admission price -

just my honest opinion -

Edited May 26, 2007 by AllenLowe

[Kalo]

Immense happyfunsunshinedreamscometrue photo gallery, except for this one...

Go figure.

Up past her bedtime?

[AllenLowe]

who's the guy next to Kelly?

[JSngry]

The Ghost of Jazz Past

[TedR]

I saw that guy play some time ago. He played very well too - for his age.

[robviti]

has anyone actually listened to her? She plays very well - for her age - basically sounds like a talented 14 year old still finding the changes. Sings with variable pitch, scats badly. Needs to wait a few years before she's worth an actual admission price -

just my honest opinion -

that was my take on her when she performed with matt wilson a few months ago in boston. it was a pleasant experience, but i don't think i'd go to one of her gigs. regardless of the enthusiastic press, she doesn't have the chops or sensibility of the "young lions" i remember, like donald harrison, antonio hart, steve wilson, etc. only time will tell.

[AllenLowe]

she has a very mature "sound" which somewhat masks her lack of ideas - no great shame for a 14 year old, but it will be interesting to see how things develop - and I did find her singing supremely annoying - it re-enforces my idea for legislation banning scat singing -

to paraphrase Groucho - I took some pictures of her recently - they're not developed yet - but I'll go back to see her in a few years -

[kh1958]

It was only three blocks from my hotel to the Jazz Standard, so I went to see Frank Morgan and heard a set on both Saturday and Sunday nights.

The first night, Ronnie Matthews was substituting on piano, but George Cables was back the next night with Carmen Lundy and Billy Hart.

Frank Morgan now plays seated, but he played beautifully throughout, and the group sounded wonderful. A few songs inton the set, he brought out Grace Kelly, who was greeted enthusiastically by the crowd. I thought she sounded okay, but I couldn't find anything very distinctive in her playing. If you closed your eyes, she could have been any competent alto player. I certainly wouldn't buy any of her recordings at this point.

The second night I liked better because he also brought out Lee Konitz as a guest, which cut short the spotlight on Grace Kelly.

I left intending to buy more of Frank Morgan's recent CDs, and intending on holding off on buying any Grace Kelly recordings at least until she grows up.

[BruceH]

Boy, she sure was great in Rear Window...oh. Never mind.

[Kalo]

If you closed your eyes, she could have been any competent alto player.

That's what I thought when I saw her. Not bad for a kid. Not bad at all.

Time will tell...