Inspired by the seminal jazz album Charlie Parker with Strings, Grace’s project At the Movies:Grace Kelly with Strings is another move into a new realm for Grace. She reimagines music from her favorite classic and current movies with fresh arrangements and fully merges it into her young sound.
Grace Kelly, an unequivocal musical prodigy, singer-saxophonist-songwriter-composer, and band leader, has rocked the jazz world with sold-out concerts, 14 acclaimed albums, and a resume that includes performing at the Hollywood Bowl and as part of the house band for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert – all before reaching her mid-twenties.
Kelly’s early career featured performances at Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration at age 16 and at 14 as a soloist with the Boston Pops playing an original composition arranged for the legendary orchestra; she has since then played over 900 shows as bandleader in 35 countries at venues including The Kennedy Center and Moscow Symphony Hall and at the Montreal, Newport, and Montreux international jazz festivals. Touted for her scorching saxophone stylings and purring vocals, Kelly has performed and recorded with renowned artists, including Lin Manuel-Miranda, Dave Brubeck, Lee Konitz, Phil Woods, Huey Lewis, Harry Connick Jr., Gloria Estefan, Questlove, and Wynton Marsalis.
Kelly was named the winner of Song of the Year for her single “Feels Like Home” in the 2018 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and has been named nine times consecutively in the annual DownBeat Magazine Critics Poll “Rising Star Alto Saxophone” from the age of 17 in 2009 (the youngest ever named to DownBeat Critics Poll in 2009) and winning the poll in 2017. She has also won multiple ASCAP. composer awards, Boston Music Awards, and international songwriting awards.
She has also appeared as a featured performer in films and television, including the acclaimed documentary Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story, Amazon’s Emmy-nominated original series, Bosch, and was featured in the 2017 Emmy-winning Yamaha production, The Right Note.
Featured by Vanity Fair as a millennial shaking up the jazz world, Kelly’s state-of-the-art brand of electro jazz-pop and inventive digital content are pushing her to the forefront of the fusion scene, alongside names like Snarky Puppy, Jacob Collier, Cory Henry, Robert Glasper, Jon Batiste, and Too Many Zooz.
Aside from thrilling audiences in concert, Kelly’s stardom reaches her audiences online. The millennial artist has developed a new paradigm to exhibit her remarkable talent and unparalleled showmanship to the masses, curating an immersive user experience for her fans across multiple social media platforms. Kelly’s dedication to posting engaging content and offering insight into her daily life has deepened her brand, bringing thousands upon thousands of eager fans into her world and gaining millions of views online, allowing the artist to bridge the gap between virtuosic musician and cultural phenomenon.
Grace is a masterful clinician specializing in jazz improvisation and stage performance. She has taught thousands of students, both online and in-person, to become more confident performers and players, including a guest teaching residency at the internationally renowned Berklee College of Music. Grace is also the youngest member of the board of trustees of Berklee College.
Grace Kelly is a Yamaha and Boston Sax Shop artist. She plays the 82Z alto saxophone and the YBS baritone sax along with the Vandoren Alto V16 A8 S+ mouthpiece, Boston Sax Shop custom alto reeds, 2.5 strength reeds, and Boston Sax Shop superlative alto ligature.
For further information about Grace Kelly, visit her website at: www.gracekellymusic.com
Instagram at instagram.com/gkellymusic,
YouTube at www.youtube.com/gracekellymusic
Facebook at facebook.com/GraceKellymusic,
Twitter at @gracekellymusic