Chris Kelly

For recording, I learn songs pretty much instantaneously, and get the songs recorded with a minimal amount of takes. I also take direction very well, if there's any specific parts you want, or if you hear something you'd like me to repeat.

For live performances, I always show up before call time, ready to play. I make sure to do my homework, so rehearsals aren't spent learning parts.

And I'm generally a fun guy to hang out with!

Chris Kelly is a bassist/multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and recording engineer/producer.

A native of NYC, he plays with Jon Sandler and The Fancy Band. He also plays with a number of NY based singer/songwriters, namely Craig Greenberg, Jeremiah Birnbaum, John Schmitt, Matt Simons, and the bands Ten Thousand Dollar Ego, The Righteous Devils, and Bazaar Royale, in addition to various one off gigs and session work. He was musical director and bassist for the Off-Broadway musical Lotsa Luck Lucy Lake, and is currently developing a musical with Broken Record Player. He has written music for television and film, and has been featured on Fuse, MNN, Telemundo, and Funny Or Die. He has been in print media such as Billboard Magazine, The Source Magazine, NY Daily News, NY Press, The Long Island Press, and Good Times Magazine. He's played legendary NY venues Jones Beach Amphitheater, Mercury Lounge, Rockwood Music Hall, Webster Hall (studio and main room), The Bitter End, The Highline Ballroom, and has a residency at The National Underground. He has opened for national artists such as George Clinton and The P-Funk All Stars, DMX, Seether, Talib Kweli, and Jimmy Buffet, and has been joined onstage by members of Dream Theater, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Twisted Sister, Dead Prez, and Wings. Chris regularly plays with some of NY's top sidemen and women as well.

Growing up in a very musical family, Chris has been making music since he has been able to crawl! His father is a well respected music teacher in NJ, and his step-father was a grammy nominated bassist and producer on Long Island. Chris started playing trombone at 8, and bass at 9 (drums and guitar soon followed). At 13, he began interning at his step-father's recording studio, learning all the ins and outs of engineering. He studied bass with Bakithi Kumalo (Paul Simon, Chaka Kahn), and Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Nels Cline).