Elden Kelly exit interview: part two

Guitar virtuoso discusses roots prior to farewell show at Turner-Dodge House

Last issue, City Pulse caught up with guitarist Elden Kelly, who’s moving to Memphis, Tennessee, later this month after living in Greater Lansing since 2008. In the second part of the interview, Kelly discusses how jazzy music found him as a child living in Vermont and ultimately became his life. If you’ve ever wondered how his modified, fully hollow-body nylon-string guitar sounds so majestic, read on.

What initially led you to the jazz world instead of rock ‘n’ roll?

Elden Kelly: My family introduced me to many genres, like classical and prog rock. Especially my dad, who is an avid record collector, muso and appreciator of the avant-garde and wild in music. He introduced me to a deep array of jazz and world music.

Has your style changed much since you first started?

It has evolved enormously. It’s certainly transformed and developed, but in some ways, it’s still in line with what I started out doing as a teenager. I was singing and playing lead guitar with my stepdad, Lee, at coffeehouses for the first couple of years. But I was also taking classical and jazz piano lessons at this time.

When did you get into jazz guitar?

At 10, I got my first guitar. I was into The Beatles, and I played bluesy rock stuff. People are alarmed when I tell them I play blues. Of course, I started there. It’s the root of traditional jazz — I just didn’t stay there. I pivoted hard and got serious about jazz around maybe 14 or 15. All I did was listen to Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett and Art Tatum. At maybe 17, I got into nylon-string guitar and took flamenco guitar lessons with a local teacher. I even went to Spain and studied for a couple of weeks one summer in high school.

I imagine much practicing going on

Back in Vermont, I just stayed in my room and practiced for hours upon hours. Keep in mind that I was the very last generation growing up before YouTube. Ultimate Guitar (guitar tab website) didn’t exist. So, I had to learn everything by ear, off vinyl and tapes sometimes in addition to CDs, because there was no streaming, so not everything was on CD. It’s hilarious to think about now. But these conditions developed and nurtured my natural musical ear so that I can pick up almost anything.

Is learning by ear declining in popularity with new players?

It’s a skill that I see a lot of younger musicians lacking because they learn just by sight and don’t develop the ear to pick things out all the time. This skill of musical ear training, which I later polished in music school in Boston, has enabled me to pick up new styles, approaches and genres easily and be a chameleon, able to fit into any situation. Many people are mystified by it, but it’s totally natural for me.

Are you going to continue teaching music after the move to Memphis?

My teaching is all online. I never returned to in-person lessons after the pandemic, so now I can teach anyone anywhere. I love the flexibility. It has many advantages beyond the geographical. People can assess their own performances more easily, which catapults progress; they can record lessons; and it’s more flexible. I’ll also keep up my online livestream performances when I can, which is a great way to stay in touch with people no matter where you are.