Calvin Keys (February 6, 1942 – April 14, 2024) was an American jazz guitarist, known for the several albums he released for Black Jazz Records.[1]

Calvin Keys
Born(1942-02-06)February 6, 1942
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
DiedApril 14, 2024(2024-04-14) (aged 82)
Berkeley, California, U.S.
GenresJazz, soul jazz
OccupationsMusician, composer
InstrumentElectric guitar
Years active1969–2024
LabelsBlack Jazz, Wide Hive

Keys performed and recorded with Ray Charles, Ahmad Jamal, Jimmy Smith, John Handy, Bobby Hutcherson, Eddie Marshall, Sonny Stitt, Pharoah Sanders, Joe Henderson and Leon Williams.[2]

Keys died from a stroke in Berkeley, California, on April 14, 2024, at the age of 82.[3]

Discography

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As leader

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  • Shawn-Neeq (Black Jazz, 1971)
  • Proceed with Caution! (Black Jazz, 1974)
  • Criss Cross (Ovation, 1976)
  • Full Court Press (Olive Branch, 1985)
  • Maria's First (Olive Branch, 1987)
  • Standard Keys [live] (Lifeforce Jazz, 1992 [1997])
  • Detours into Unconscious Rhythms (Wide Hive, 2000)
  • Touch (Olive Branch, 2000) compilation
  • An Evening With Calvin Keys [live] (Lifeforce Jazz, 2003) 2-CD
  • Calvinesque (Silverado, 2005)
  • Vertical Clearance (Wide Hive, 2006)
  • Hand Made Portrait (Silverado, 2007)
  • Electric Keys (Wide Hive, 2013)
  • Close Enough For Love (Lifeforce Jazz, 2015)
  • Simply Calvin (Lifeforce Jazz, 2022)
  • Blue Keys (Wide Hive, 2022)

As sideman

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With Ahmad Jamal

With others

  • Gene Russell, Talk to My Lady (Black Jazz, 1973)
  • Billy Brooks, Windows of the Mind (Crossover, 1974)
  • Doug Carn, Adam's Apple (Black Jazz, 1974)
  • Doug Carn, Higher Ground (Ovation, 1976)
  • Gene Russell, Listen Here (Ovation, 1976)
  • James Newton Howard, Dying Young (Arista, 1991)
  • Denise Perrier, I Wanna Be Loved (Chezz Perrier, 1996)
  • Dissent, Dissent (Wide Hive, 1999)
  • Azeem, Mayhem Mystics (Wide Hive, 2004)

References

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  1. ^ AllMusic Discography
  2. ^ Calvin Keys at Totally Guitars. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
  3. ^ Meline, Gabe (April 15, 2024). "Calvin Keys, Jazz Guitarist With Endless Soul, Dies at 82". KQED. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
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