Kathy Kelly
vibist / composer

Kathy Kelly has been playing the vibes professionally since 1979 when she made her debut performing in Chicago-area jazz clubs.

A Different Vibe is Kelly's debut CD featuring twelve original jazz compositions. Featured along with Kelly on the CD are guitarist John McLean, bassist Dan DeLorenzo, and drummer Jim Widlowski.

A review in Cadence magazine says of Kelly, "She stretches out with a fluid improvisational style that combines coolness with intricate details." Jazzreview.com praises the CD, saying, "This is a spunky, lively, feel-good collection of original songs... A Different Vibe is a winner, excellent."
Kelly uses her original jazz compositions to showcase the vibes and lend the group a distinctive sound. Influences from Jazz artists (Thelonious Monk, Eddie Harris, Gary Burton) as well as world music (African, Brazilian, Latin and Middle Eastern) can be heard in her varied compositions. Kelly's tunes have a strong tie with musical tradition; listeners often comment that the tunes "sound familiar" on the first listening.

Besides performing with her groups Vibrafon and the Kathy Kelly Quintet, she performs with Tudo de Bom, vocalist Hinda Hoffman, and Steve Hashimoto's jazz group Mothra. Kelly has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland with the Chiacago State University Jazz Ensemble, and has twice entertained audiences at the Chicago Jazz Festival with her quartet. Kelly is the founder and artistic director of the Chicago Jazz Composers Collective, sponsor of monthly jazz composers concerts at the Green Mill jazz club in Chicago