Calvin Keys, an Oakland-based jazz guitarist that played alongside of iconic musicians such as Ray Charles and Ahmad Jamal, reportedly sadly passed away on Sunday afternoon at the age of 82.
Keys was reportedly surrounded by his loved ones at the Berkeley’s Alta Bates Medical Center when he passed away, marking a beautiful end to a storied life. Keys dedicated his life to music, and to his family, two things that did not leave him until the end.
Friend and recording mate bassist Henry Franklin said the following about the passing of the great Calvin Keys,
“The world has just lost a wonderful person and musician. He was very prolific on his instrument, very inventive, and I’m sure he’s got one of the first seats in the big orchestra in the sky.”
Henry Franklin
In addition to the legendary musicians listed above, Keys also played music with Donald Byrd, Lou Donaldson, Bobby Hutcherson, Tony Bennett, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Joe Henderson, Carmen McCrea, Pharoah Sanders, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Eddie Henderson, Stanley Turrentine and so many others.
KQED reports on his life,
Calvin Keys was born Feb. 6, 1942 in Omaha, Nebraska. As a young boy, his father, a drummer, used to sneak him into local ballrooms to hear performers like Little Richard and James Brown.
He would soon learn guitar, and join jam sessions in town with touring artists like George Benson and Brother Jack McDuff. At the age of 15, Keys moved to Kansas City and soon began touring as a young teenager.
Keys played in top trios with popular organists like Jimmy McGriff and Jimmy Smith, and worked with Ray Charles on and off for 15 years.
A move to Los Angeles in the late 1960s connected him with the Black Jazz record label, for which he recorded two era-defining albums: 1971’s Shawn-Neeq and 1974’s Proceed With Caution. He moved to the Bay Area in 1975.
After joining pianist Ahmad Jamal’s group, Keys would spend 15 years touring and recording with the jazz giant.
He sometimes told the story of Miles Davis, an avowed Jamal fan, once asking Jamal after a show if he could audition Keys for his own group — an offer Keys declined.
KQED
Rest in peace, Calvin Keys!
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