DESCRIPTION:
Elden Kelly impresses audiences with his ability to combine jazz with a broad range of music traditions.
His CD "1,000 Doors" is a compilation of original music settings for solo voice and guitar of the sacred writings of the Baha'i Faith. In Seven Days Magazine reviewer Dan Bolles says: "Kelly approaches his source material with humble reverence. Much like Sufjan Stevens' ...musical explorations of Christianity, Kelly is quietly awed by God's grace. The result is an intimate collection of works that, whatever your religious inclinations or disinclinations, makes for a stirring listen...From opening invocation 'The Word' through the disc's benediction, 'The Seven Valleys,' Kelly displays near blessed control of his abilities...His voice is ... divinely inspired, and it can alternately raise gooseflesh and calm the wayward soul."
Kelly accompanies himself with the glissentar, a 12-string fretless guitar. He also performs on the oud, a pear shaped, 13-stringed instrument of the Middle East. In addition to instrumental improvisation, Kelly works as a singer-songwriter, whose musical style blends middle-eastern influences with neo-classicism, jazz, and American roots music.
eldenkelly.com


Elden Kelly, guitarist, singer and songwriter, entrances audiences with a style composed of diverse elements that speak about something fresh, relevant, urgent and new in today's world. His interest in international styles led him to the oud (a fretless Egyptian lute) and the glissentar (a 12-stringed fretless guitar) instruments which he now incorporates into many of his performances. In addition to instrumental improvisation, Elden also works as a singer-songwriter, whose musical style blends jazz and neo-classicism with middle-eastern influences and American roots music.
Elden received his Bachelor's Degree with honors from the New England Conservatory of Music in 2008. While in Boston, he instructed keyboard harmony courses at New England Conservatory and served as faculty at the Allegro Music School. He also directed a week-long guitar educational program in Vermont, "Guitar Intensive," which was sponsored by the Huntington Valley Arts organization.
In 2008, Elden accepted a teaching assistantship at Michigan State University to serve as a graduate assistant to bassist and Jazz Studies chairman Rodney Whitaker. In addition to performing, Elden maintains a private teaching studio in East Lansing, MI.