Chris Kelly

Among the 3 great unrecorded cornet legends of New Orleans jazz (along with Pal Bolden and Pal Petit), Chris Kelly was considered a restricted but emotional participant who was simply best over the blues, a pioneer in using mutes and an early on impact on Louis Armstrong and Child Howard. He examined music with Jim Humphrey (the grandfather of Willie and Percy Humphrey). Kelly transferred to New Orleans in 1915, using clarinetist Johnny Brown’s music group which he ultimately had taken over. He was regarded among New Orleans’ best cornetists through the 1920’s and was renowned for his variations of “Careless Like” but however he hardly ever ventured North. An alcoholic, Chris Kelly’s early loss of life and having less any documentation provides resulted in him being truly a largely forgotten star.