“Years later, Saunders had me put a group together for the Central Illinois Jazz Festival in Decatur, and I had Mike on bass and cello, Scott Robinson on clarinet, C-melody sax and bass sax, Jeremy Kahn on piano, and Joe Ascione on drums. A very versatile group, we did everything from the Hot Five and Morton to Ellington and Ben Webster.” Moving to New York, he quickly became involved in The Nighthawks’ busy schedule of regular gigs, private parties, weddings, concerts, recordings and movie soundtracks as well as becoming acquainted with the top players in town which led to more work along with being invited to jazz parties both in the States and overseas. Chapter One , the first recording under his own name, was with Arbors Records in 1993 and included Milt Hinton on bass. Since then, he can be heard on over 100 recordings, including six as leader. “Playing with The Nighthawks meant that I really had to step up my game. It was total immersion, like a doctoral study of 1920s and 30s jazz. Vince’s standards are very high, and The Nighthawks’ book is quite demanding. I might be asked to sight-read a Red Allen solo on one tune and then do a Red Nichols solo on the next. From there, I could be expected to play in the style of a society band lead trumpet, improvise on a traditional jazz tune, fake a Latin song or a Jewish hora for the dancers– all within the same set. Vince has always been very helpful, and I’ve learned a ton playing with him over the years.” Leads The EarRegulars Since 2007, Jon has been leading The EarRegulars featuring guitarist Matt Munisteri, and various guest artists on Sundays from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Ear Inn in the Soho section of Manhattan. The building dates back to 1817 and has a warm and friendly vibe. Fellow musicians often show up after their gigs, and the place is always packed. “We’ve had some magical nights there,” Kellso recalls. There’s no cover charge, but there is a bucket for tips called “Phillup DeBucket.” The latest recording, “Jon-Erik Kellso and The EarRegulars: Live at the Ear Inn”, is on Arbors Records. Jon can be heard on several television and movie soundtracks, including “Ghost World,” “The Aviator,” “Mildred Pierce,” and “Bessie” with Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks. He can also be seen in “Revolutionary Road,” “Boardwalk Empire,” for which The Nighthawks won a Grammy, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Notable engagements included: a week in Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola with Wynton Marsalis celebrating Louis Armstrong’s Hot 5s and 7s, leading The EarRegulars at the Detroit Jazz Fest, Moab Music Fest, the Bohém Ragtime and Jazz Fest in Hungary, as well as jazz festivals and concerts in New Orleans and all over the world. Reflecting on his long career, Jon-Erik Kellso declared, “I’ve surpassed all my childhood goals and had to set some new ones, which is the kind of problem you want to have. I’ve never had another job, and it’s been everything I’ve ever wanted to do. As long as the phone keeps ringing, I’ll just keep-on doing what I’ve always enjoyed doing.” Lew Shaw The San Diego Jazz Party thanks Lew Shaw for his exemplary Jon-Erik Kellso story and the many contributions he has made to our party and the Jazz community. .
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