The Daniel Kelly Group
Pianist/composer Daniel Kelly premieres a new jazz group at a concert at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Cold Spring.
The band features an amazing lineup of accomplished musicians performing Daniel’s original compositions that incorporate influences from modern jazz, classical, film music & electronic music. Poetry by Paul Pines, a dear friend of Daniel’s and creator of the Jazz at the Lake festival in Lake George, NY, will be interwoven into the performance and read by poet David Gonzalez.
The band will perform at the Jazz the Lake festival on Sept 15. Daniel is the Curator for the Jazz at the Lake, a weekend of world-class jazz performances free and open to the public. In addition to Daniel’s group, the festival on Sept 13-15 includes several GRAMMY award winners and nominees - Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, Adam Cruz Trio; Nicole Zuraitis; Ben Wendel Quartet; Michael Mayo; Jahari Stampley Family Trio; Linda May Han Oh; Ulysses Owens Jr. & Gen Y.
Daniel Kelly- piano, composer, band leader
An artist who has been called “stunningly original” with “a visionary imagination,” composer and pianist Daniel Kelly explores the meeting place of music with literature, visual art and journalism, captivating audiences across the country. Kelly’s music has been declared “powerfully moving” by Time Out New York. He has performed with GRAMMY-award winning jazz legends Michael Brecker and Joe Lovano, hip-hop star Lauryn Hill, cutting-edge modern classical The Bang on a Can All-Stars and a long list of jazz musicians such as NEA Jazz Masters Dave Liebman & Sheila Jordan, Don Byron, Donny McCaslin, Oliver Lake, Bobby Sanabria and many others.
Kelly toured throughout Southeast Asia and India as a part of the Kennedy Center/US State Department-sponsored Jazz Ambassador program, has performed for the president of Costa Rica and at the Shangilia orphanage in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Dedicated to creating art for young people, he has performed for countless students throughout the country over the past 24 years with storyteller and poet, David Gonzalez. He has also composed for chamber orchestra, string quartet, film and multimedia theater works. He has released five CDs of original compositions.
Jared Schonig – drums
Award winning drummer, composer & bandleader Jared Schonig has toured and/or recorded internationally with Nicholas Payton, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Chris Potter, John Patitucci, Donny McCaslin, Darcy James Argue & Secret Society, The 8-Bit Big Band, Miho Hazama & m_Unit, Dave Grusin, David Foster, Laurence Hobgood, Tim Hagans, Fred Hersch, Wycliffe Gordon, Tom Harrell, Joe Locke, and Ernie Watts among others. He has appeared on multiple Grammy-winning records, been in the orchestra on countless Tony-award musicals, and even performed on Emmy-award winning TV performances. A favorite among vocalists, Schonig has toured with Grammy Award-winners Kurt Elling, The New York Voices, Sara Gazarek, Kristen Chenoweth, Cynthia Erivo, Katherine McPhee, Jessica Vosk and singer/songwriter Donna Lewis, in addition to rising vocal supergroup Duchess, Spencer Day, Laila Biali and Shayna Steele. He has performed around the world from sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall to festivals in Zimbabwe. Schonig co-led The Wee Trio, which released five critically-acclaimed albums over the past 8 years. The group received praise from numerous publications and toured internationally. He recently released two solo albums of original music (one quintet and one big band) in the fall of 2021 to critical acclaim. When at home in New York City, Schonig is a fixture in both the jazz and Broadway scene- he recently held the drum chair for the critically acclaimed Tony, Grammy and Emmy-award winning Broadway Revival of The Color Purple and is currently playing drums and percussion for the 10-time Tony-winning Moulin Rouge! The Musical. He also is an in-demand drummer/percussionist for studio recordings, jingle sessions and other commercial music recordings.
Jesse Lewis – guitar
"Rebirthing the cool in the 21st century, Jesse Lewis is flipping the script on jazz for a whole new generation," writes Australian music critic Jeremy Balius (Fly Global Music). Hailed as “an articulate ace” and "scorching guitarist" (NY Times) and a “poet of the steel string” (Stereophile Magazine), New York City based guitarist Jesse Lewis is a first call collaborator with the finest musicians in the world.
Ike Sturm – bass
Bassist and composer Ike Sturm was raised in a musical home in Wisconsin, learning from his father, renowned composer and arranger, Fred Sturm. Ike has performed with Gene Bertoncini, Theo Bleckmann, Ingrid Jensen, Donny McCaslin, Bobby McFerrin, Ben Monder, Maria Schneider and Kenny Wheeler. He has played on four Downbeat award-winning recordings, as well as several Steve Reich releases on Canteloupe and Nonesuch Records. He has performed with Alarm Will Sound and the International Contemporary Ensemble, along with numerous creative ensembles in New York.
David Gonzalez – spoken word
Dr. David Gonzalez is a poet, playwright, storyteller, musician, artivist, and keynote speaker. He is a Fellow of the a Joseph Campbell Foundation, received a Drama Desk Nomination for Unique Theatrical Experience, and was a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S State Department. David is the recipient of the “Lifetime Achievement Award for Sustained Excellence“ from IRAX.