Son of Jamaican immigrants, Kelly was born in Jamaica, and started his professional career as a teenager, initially as a member of R&B groups. After working with Lee Abrams, Cecil Payne, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday and Dizzy Gillespie he is perhaps best known for working with trumpeter Miles Davis, he was a member of Miles Davis's Quintet from 1959 to 1963. He appears on Davis' seminal 1959 album Kind of Blue, replacing Bill Evans on the track "Freddie Freeloader". Kelly likewise appears on a single track from John Coltrane's Giant Steps, replacing Tommy Flanagan on "Naima".
He recorded 14 titles for Blue Note in a trio (1951), and worked with Dinah Washington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Lester Young during 1951-1952. After serving in the military, Kelly worked with Dinah Washington (1955–1957), Charles Mingus (1956–1957), and the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band (1957), but he would be most famous for his stint with Miles Davis (1959–1963), recording such albums with him as Kind of Blue, At the Blackhawk, and Someday My Prince Will Come. When he left Davis, Kelly took the rest of the rhythm section (bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb) with him to form his trio.
Kelly recorded as a leader for Blue Note, Riverside Records, Vee-Jay, Verve, and Milestone. Kelly had a daughter, Tracy, in 1963, with partner Anne. The track "Little Tracy", on the LP Comin' in the Back Door, is named after Kelly's daughter. Tracy Matisak is a now a Philadelphia television personality.
Kelly's second cousin, bassist Marcus Miller, also performed with Miles Davis in the 1980s and 1990s. Another cousin is pianist Randy Weston.
Kelly died in Toronto, Canada, from an epileptic seizure in April 1971.
Discography
As leader
1951: Piano Interpretations (Blue Note)
1958: Piano (Riverside)
1959: Kelly Blue (Riverside)
1959: Kelly Great (Vee-Jay)
1960: Kelly at Midnight (Vee-Jay)
1961: Wynton Kelly! (Vee-Jay)
1961: Someday My Prince Will Come (Vee-Jay)
1963: Comin' in the Back Door (Verve)
1964: It's All Right! (Verve)
1965: Undiluted (Verve)
1965: Smokin' at the Half Note (Verve)
1965: Blues on Purpose (Xanadu)
1967: Full View (Milestone)
1968: Last Trio Session (Delmark)
As sideman
With Julian "Cannonball" Adderley
Things Are Getting Better (1958)
Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago (1959)
Cannonball Takes Charge (1959)
African Waltz (1961)
The Cannonball Adderley Quintet Plus (1961)
With Nat Adderley
Much Brass (1959)
That's Right! (1960)
Naturally! (1961)
With Lorez Alexandria
Alexandria the Great (Impulse!, 1964)
More of the Great Lorez Alexandria (Impulse!, 1964)
With Gene Ammons
Night Lights (1970)
With Walter Benton
Out of This World (Jazzland, 1960)
With Bob Brookmeyer
Jazz is a Kick (1960)
With Joy Bryan
Make the Man Love Me (1961)
With Donald Byrd
Modern Jazz Perspective (Columbia, 1957) - with Gigi Gryce
Off to the Races (Blue Note, 1958)
With Betty Carter
Out There (1958)
With Paul Chambers
Go... (1959)
1st Bassman (1960)
With James Clay
The Sound of the Wide Open Spaces!!!! (Riverside, 1960)
With Jimmy Cleveland
Cleveland Style (1957)
With John Coltrane
Coltrane Jazz (1961)
With King Curtis
The New Scene of King Curtis (1960)
Soul Meeting (1960)
With Miles Davis
Kind of Blue (1959)
Someday My Prince Will Come (1961)
With Curtis Fuller
The Curtis Fuller Jazztet (Savoy, 1959)
With Dizzy Gillespie
Dee Gee Days: The Savoy Sessions (Savoy, 1951-52 [1976])
Dizzy and Strings (1954)
Dizzy Atmosphere (1957)
Birks' Works (1957)
Dizzy in Greece (1957)
Dizzy Gillespie and Stuff Smith (Verve, 1957)
Dizzy Gillespie at Newport (Verve, 1957)
With Benny Golson
Benny Golson's New York Scene (Contemporary, 1957)
The Modern Touch (Riverside, 1957)
Turning Point (Mercury, 1962)
With Paul Gonsalves
Gettin' Together (1960)
With Dexter Gordon
The Jumpin' Blues (1970)
With Grant Green
First Session (1960)
With Johnny Griffin
Introducing Johnny Griffin (1956)
A Blowin' Session (Blue Note, 1957)
With Eddie Harris
Cool Sax, Warm Heart (Columbia, 1964)
With Jimmy Heath
The Thumper (Riverside, 1959)
On the Trail (Riverside, 1964)
With Bill Henderson
Bill Henderson Sings (1959)
With Joe Henderson
Four (1968)
Straight, No Chaser (1968)
With Ernie Henry
Seven Standards and a Blues (Riverside, 1957)
Last Chorus (Riverside, 1957)
With Billie Holiday
Lady Sings the Blues (1956)
With Helen Humes
Swingin' with Humes (1961)
With Illinois Jacquet
The Blues That's Me (1969)
With Eddie Jefferson
Letter From Home (1962)
With J. J. Johnson
The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 2 (1954)
With Philly Joe Jones
Drums Around the World (Riverside, 1959)
Together! (Atlantic, 1961) - with Elvin Jones
With Sam Jones
The Chant (Riverside, 1961)
Down Home (Riverside, 1962)
With Roland Kirk
Domino (1962)
With Steve Lacy
Soprano Sax (1957)
With Abbey Lincoln
That's Him! (Riverside, 1957)
It's Magic (Riverside, 1958)
Abbey Is Blue (Riverside, 1959)
With Booker Little
Booker Little (1960)
With Johnny Lytle
The Loop (Tuba, 1965)
New and Groovy (Tuba, 1966)
With Chuck Mangione
Recuerdo (1962)
With Blue Mitchell
Big 6 (1958)
Blue Soul (1959)
Blue's Moods (1960)
A Sure Thing (1962)
With Hank Mobley
Peckin' Time (1958)
Soul Station (1960)
Roll Call (1961)
Workout (1961)
Another Workout (1961)
With Milt Jackson and Wes Montgomery
Bags Meets Wes! (1961)
With Wes Montgomery
Full House (1962)
Smokin' at the Half Note (1965)
With Lee Morgan
Lee Morgan Vol.3 (1957)
Here's Lee Morgan (1960)
With Mark Murphy
Rah (1961)
With David Newman
Staight Ahead (1960)
With Art Pepper
Gettin' Together (1960)
With Sonny Red
Out of the Blue (1959)
With Dizzy Reece
Star Bright (1959)
With Wayne Shorter
Introducing Wayne Shorter (Vee-Jay, 1959)
With Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins, Vol. 1 (1956)
Newk's Time (Blue Note, 1957)
With Don Sleet
All Members (1961)
With Frank Strozier
Fantastic Frank Strozier (1959)
With Art Taylor
A.T.'s Delight (Blue Note, 1960)
With Clark Terry
Serenade to a Bus Seat (Riverside, 1957)
With Teri Thornton
Devil May Care (Riverside, 1961)
With Phil Upchurch
Feeling Blue (1967)
With Dinah Washington
Back to the Blues (1962)
Someday My Prince Will Come
Wynton Kelly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There is someone I'm longing to see
Someone I simply can't help but adore
Someone who'll thrill me forever
Some day my prince will come
Some day I'll find my love
And how thrilling that moment will be
When the prince of my dreams comes to me
And steal a kiss or two
Though he's far away,
I'll find my love some day
Some day when my dreams come true
Some day I'll find my love
Someone to call my own
And I'll know her the moment we meet
For my heart will start skipping a beat
Some day we'll say and do
Things we've been longing to
Though she's far away
I'll find my love some day
Some day when my dreams come true
The lyrics to Wynton Kelly's "Someday My Prince Will Come" speak of hope, longing and anticipation for the arrival of true love. The song tells the story of a person who is waiting for their prince charming to come along and sweep them off their feet. The lyrics express the idea that the person knows that somewhere out there, there is someone who they adore and who will thrill them forever. This person talks about how thrilling it will be when they finally meet the prince of their dreams who will whisper, "I love you" and steal a kiss or two.
The lyrics also speak to the feeling of certainty that comes with finding true love. The singer explains how they will know their true love the moment they meet because their heart will start skipping a beat. They talk about how someday they will be able to say and do all the things they've been longing to with their true love, even if they are far away. The final line speaks to the hope of realizing one's dreams in the future, stating that someday their dreams will come true.
Overall, the lyrics of "Someday My Prince Will Come" express the universal longing for love and the hope that one day we will be able to find and hold onto it.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere waiting for me
There is a place where the one I'm meant to be with is waiting for me
There is someone I'm longing to see
I have a strong desire to see this person, who is incredibly special to me
Someone I simply can't help but adore
This person is so amazing that I can't resist my feelings of adoration towards them
Someone who'll thrill me forever
This person will bring excitement and happiness into my life for all of eternity
Some day my prince will come
At some point in the future, I will find the one I'm meant to be with
Some day I'll find my love
Eventually, I will discover the person I'm destined to be with and fall in love with them
And how thrilling that moment will be
I am filled with anticipation at the thought of meeting my true love and beginning our journey together
When the prince of my dreams comes to me
The person who is perfect for me will arrive in my life and sweep me off my feet
He'll whisper, I love you,
My true love will express their feelings for me and let me know how much they care
And steal a kiss or two
We will share intimate moments together and enjoy each other's company
Though he's far away,
Even if this person is currently physically distant from me,
I'll find my love some day
I have faith that I will eventually meet the one I'm meant to be with
Some day when my dreams come true
At some point in the future when my wishes become a reality,
Some day I'll find my love
I will finally discover the person I've been searching for
Someone to call my own
I will have a partner who is exclusively mine and with whom I will have a deep connection
And I'll know her the moment we meet
From the instant we are introduced, I will recognize that she is my true love
For my heart will start skipping a beat
I will feel an intense rush of emotions as soon as I lay eyes on her
Some day we'll say and do
Eventually, we will engage in the behaviors and conversations that we have both been yearning for
Things we've been longing to
Our deepest desires will finally come to fruition
Though she's far away
Even if this person is currently physically distant from me,
I'll find my love some day
I am confident that I will eventually find my soulmate
Some day when my dreams come true
At some point in the future when all of my aspirations are realized,
Some day I'll find my love
I will finally discover the person I was always meant to be with
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Churchill, Larry Morey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mistermister6686
Tracks:
A1 Someday My Prince Will Come 00:00
A2 Gone With The Wind 03:05
A3 Autumn Leaves 07:20
A4 Come Rain Or Come Shine 11:47
A5 Weird Lullabye 17:43
B1 Sassy 24:54
B2 Wrinkles 30:06
B3 On Stage 38:05
B4 Char's Blues 43:18
B5 Love, I've Found You 48:15
Credits:
Piano – Wynton Kelly
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter (tracks: B2)
Trumpet – Lee Morgan (tracks: B2)
Bass – Paul Chambers (3) (tracks: A5, B2, B3), Sam Jones (tracks: A1 to A4, B1, B4, B5)
Drums – Philly Joe Jones (tracks: A5, B2, B3), Jimmy Cobb (tracks: A1 to A4, B1, B4)
Recorded at Bell Sound Studios, NYC Studio A; September 20-21, 1961.
@mistermister6686
Tracks:
A1 Someday My Prince Will Come 00:00
A2 Gone With The Wind 03:05
A3 Autumn Leaves 07:20
A4 Come Rain Or Come Shine 11:47
A5 Weird Lullabye 17:43
B1 Sassy 24:54
B2 Wrinkles 30:06
B3 On Stage 38:05
B4 Char's Blues 43:18
B5 Love, I've Found You 48:15
Credits:
Piano – Wynton Kelly
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter (tracks: B2)
Trumpet – Lee Morgan (tracks: B2)
Bass – Paul Chambers (3) (tracks: A5, B2, B3), Sam Jones (tracks: A1 to A4, B1, B4, B5)
Drums – Philly Joe Jones (tracks: A5, B2, B3), Jimmy Cobb (tracks: A1 to A4, B1, B4)
Recorded at Bell Sound Studios, NYC Studio A; September 20-21, 1961.
@phillipcoal2233
Thank you so much for adding this, mistermister! I've been looking for the alternate take of Someday My Prince Will Come since the mid-90s! I have a a CD supposedly with the alternate take, but it's just a repeat of the master take. This is wonderful to hear! And I see that this recording already has more than 40,000 views! People must just love Wynton Kelly... And this is a great and sparkling recording!
@kodebruijn4753
Kelly's playing is upbeat, radiates joy and soul.
@curtisdale2791
Absolutely awesome. If kids today listened to this type of music, the world would be a better place
@wesleylarlarb3601
ripbozo for boomer jazz enjoyers, hope y'all are around to witness the birth of jazzcore
s/o gigachad child jazz batchesters
@chainsawteddybear
@@wesleylarlarb3601 you tell this boomer mf
@christophegaudissart6551
that s really what i think hey man !!!!!
@borjabaixauli1049
One of the best piano players in the world. I like his elegance and no abuse of left hand as other piano players.... His phrasing is beautiful.
@ronaldunkel2681
The set with Wayne and Lee giving extra depth to Wynton’s incredible playing. These outstanding jazz artists gave virtually the world their - soul -. All those immensely talented jazz players from post WW2 till the 70’s changed the perception of soulful/inventive/improvisational (and funky) jazz, forever. Therefore this very appropriate wonderful album, folks. Have a swingin’ G’day & Cheers!
@alliaayman
Reading Lorna Goodison's Redemption Ground and came across this album in the last page of her vignette/memory entitled A Party for Tarquin, the best part is when her friend Bernard ditched his date and the non-party and he and Lorna spend the rest of the night listening to this, appreciating the genius of Jamaican-American pianist Wynton Kelly, about whom Miles himself was supposed to have said, "Wynton is the light for the cigarette; without him there is no smoking."
Lorna says "That night I realised that if hope has a sound it would be Wynton Kelly's piano playing. His hope notes were like sunbeams dancing on the morning waves coming in at Bluefields beach."