A Wing And A Prayer
Matt Kelly
Initial release : 1985
Matthew Kelly began his musical career in the late 1960s, playing harmonica with some well known blues artists, including Mel Brown, Champion Jack Dupree, Johnny Lee Hooker, and T-Bone Walker.
During this period, Kelly was also involved in the burgeoning rock music scene in the San Francisco Bay Area. He played electric guitar and harmonica in several different psychedelic rock bands, along with fellow South Bay musicians Dave Torbert and Chris Herold.
Subsequently, Kelly lived in England for a number of months, and was a member of the rock band Gospel Oak. Upon his return to California, he renewed his association with Dave Torbert, who was then playing bass in the New Riders of the Purple Sage. Kelly would also sometimes hang out with a boyhood friend of his, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead. During this period Kelly occasionally performed as a guest musician with the New Riders or the Dead. He appeared on one track of the 1973 Dead album Wake of the Flood.
In 1973, Torbert left the New Riders of the Purple Sage, and he and Kelly formed the band Kingfish, along with Chris Herold, Robbie Hoddinott, and Mick Ward. In 1974, the Grateful Dead went on hiatus, and Weir became a full time member of Kingfish, recording and performing with the band extensively. In 1976, the Dead started touring again, and Weir left Kingfish. Kingfish continued playing many live dates, occasionally with Weir in the lineup, and released several more albums. In 1978, Kelly played on a few tracks of the Grateful Dead album Shakedown Street. He also played on several songs at the December 31, 1978 Dead show that was later released on CD and DVD as The Closing of Winterland.
Kingfish disbanded, for a time, in 1980. In 1981, Kelly became one of the original members of Bob Weir's band Bobby and the Midnites, and appeared on the band's self-titled first album, along with Brent Mydland, Billy Cobham, Alphonso Johnson, and Bobby Cochran. In 1983, Dave Torbert died. The following year, Matt Kelly reformed Kingfish. From that time on, Kelly led a gradually evolving lineup of musicians, as Kingfish intermittently toured and released live albums. In 1987, Kelly also released a solo album, A Wing and a Prayer.
In 1995, Bob Weir formed a new band, Ratdog. Kelly was an original member of that band, along with Rob Wasserman and Jay Lane. Kelly played guitar and harmonica in Ratdog until 1998.
The intermittent existence of Kingfish, led by Matthew Kelly, continues to the present time. In 1999, the band released a studio album, Sundown on the Forest. They have also released a number of live albums of older material.
Tracks
* Eyes Of The Night (Barry Flast)
* Mona (Bo Diddley)
* Dangerous Relations (Matt Kelly)
* Over And Over (Matt Kelly)
* Shining Dawn (Matt Kelly)
* I Got To Be Me (Sammy Davis Jnr)
* It Ain't Easy (Long John Baldry)
* Riding High (Bill Cutler)
* Next Time You See Me (Junior Parker / Sam Philips)
* Mess Around (Armet Ertugun)
* Harpoon Magic (Matt Kelly)
* If That's The Way (Matt Kelly)
Musicians
The tracks on this album were recorded at different times with a wide range of musicians. The musicians on each of the tracks are as follows.
Eyes Of The Night;
* Stan Coley - guitar
* Barry Flast - vocals
* Chris Herold - drums
* Matt Kelly - guitar, vocals
* Brent Mydland - vocals
* Colby Pollard - bass
* Rahni Rains - vocals
* J.D. & Red - synthesizer
* Bob Weir - guitar, vocals
Mona;
* Patti Cathcart - vocals
* John Cipollina - guitar
* Robbie Hoddinot - guitar
* Matt Kelly - guitar, percussion, vocals
* Dave Torbert - bass, vocals
Dangerous Relations;
* Ron Eglit - pedal steel
* Jerry Garcia - guitar
* Chris Herold - drums
* Matt Kelly - guitar
* Rahni Rains - vocals
* Dave Torbert - bass
* Bob Weir - guitar, vocals
Over and Over;
* Sam Clayton - congas
* Stan Coley - synthesizer
* Robbie Hoddinot - guitar
* Nicky Hopkins - piano
* Matt Kelly - guitar
* Brent Mydland - vocals
* Mark Nielsen - drums
* Dave Torbert - bass
* Bob Wright - organ
Shining Down;
* Fred Campbell - bass
* Patti Cathcart - vocals
* Stan Coley - synthesizer
* Barry Flast - vocals
* Robbie Hoddinot - guitar
* Nicky Hopkins - piano
* Matt Kelly - guitar, harmonica, vocals
* Bill Kreutzmann - drums
* Brent Mydland - vocals
I Got To Be Me;
* Patti Cathcart - vocals
* Dave Fogal - piano
* Robbie Hoddinot - guitar
* Matt Kelly - guitar, slide guitar
* San Mateo Baptist Church Choir - vocals
* Jerry Miller - guitar
* Scotty Quick - guitar
* Dave Torbert - bass
* Bob Wright - organ
It Ain't Easy;
* Michael Bloomfield - guitar
* Patti Cathcart - vocals
* Dave Fogal - piano
* Matt Kelly - harmonica
* Jerry Martini - horns
* Jerry Miller - guitar
* Scotty Quick - guitar
* Rahni Rains - vocals
* Dave Torbert - bass
* Bob Wright - organ
Riding High;
* Patti Cathcart - vocals
* Bill Cutler - vocals
* Ron Eglit - pedal steel
* Jerry Garcia - guitar
* Matt Kelly - guitar, harp, vocals
* Rahni Rains - vocals
* Dave Torbert - bass
* Mick Ward - piano
* Bob Weir - guitar, vocals
* Bob Wright - organ
Next Time You See Me;
* Mel Brown - guitar
* Michael Bloomfield - guitar
* Robbie Hoddinot - guitar
* Matt Kelly - vocals
* Jerry Martini - horns
* Jerry Miller - guitar
* Mark Naftalin - piano
* Mike O'Neil - slide guitar
* Dave Torbert - bass
Mess Around;
* Patti Cathcart - vocals
* Bobby Cochran - guitar
* Chris Herold - drums
* Matt Kelly - guitar, harmonica, vocals
* Dave Torbert - bass, vocals
* Mick Ward - piano
Harpoon Magic;
* Buddy Cage - pedal steel
* Patti Cathcart - vocals
* Keith Godchaux - piano
* Matt Kelly - harmonica
* David Nelson - guitar
* Rahni Rains - vocals
* Dave Torbert - bass, vocals
If That's The Way;
* Stan Coley - guitar
* Nicky Hopkins - piano
* Matt Kelly - guitar, harmonica, vocals
* Brent Mydland - vocals
* Dave Torbert - bass, vocals
* Bob Wright - organ
