Pat Kelley

Recognized for his signature touch, harmonic dexterity, bluesy melodies and sense of rhythm, guitarist Pat Kelley has enjoyed a steady and successful career in Los Angeles since the early seventies, working as a studio and touring musician, recording artist, composer, producer, arranger, vocalist, recording engineer, and educator. 

An integral part of the Thornton School of Music Guitar Faculty at the University of Southern California for twenty-four years, two of Pat's books, Arpeggios for the Evolving Guitarist and Melodic Minor Guitar are part of the USC Thornton School of Music instructional series (Mel Bay Publications). Pat has also been on the faculty of the Monterey Jazz Festival Summer Jazz Camp, Guitar College Summer Guitar & Bass Camp, the University of Tulsa Summer Jazz Camp, and Interlochen Center for the Arts.

While recording for hundreds of commercial jingles, record albums, films, and television shows, Pat also worked for several years as the guitarist in house bands on the Merv Griffin, Pat Sajak, and Carol Burnett television shows. He has recorded and toured with George Benson, Natalie Cole, David Benoit, Ronnie Laws, Hubert Laws, Burt Bacharach, Tom Scott, Al Jarreau, Gregg Karukas, Dave Brubeck, Dave Koz, Jane Monheit, Olivia Newton John, Melissa Manchester, Jose Feliciano, and many others. He has also written more than one hundred-fifty compositions that have been recorded for CDs, film, television, and music libraries. 

Performances with symphony orchestras include Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Houston, Atlanta, Tulsa, Denver, San Antonio, Auckland, Nashville, Toledo, and the Asia America Symphony Orchestra.

A native of Tulsa, In 2003, Pat was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, joining past inductees Chet Baker, Oscar Pettiford, Lester Young, Charlie Christian, and Barney Kessel. 

 Affiliations:

American Federation of Musicians (local 47, Los Angeles)

Recording Musicians Association (RMA)

Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI)

American Federation of Television and Radio Announcers (AFTRA)

The Recording Academy

 "Quiet Time"    

(from the CD, "Perspective")

Click on the photo to hear the song