Drummer and percussionist Chris Gelb can be found playing in a wide variety of musical groups in New York City where he currently resides. Regarded as a sensitive and thoughtful musician, he is quickly becoming a familiar face around the city.
Soon after moving to New York from his home state of North Carolina in 2014, he discovered the vibrant Traditional Jazz scene, which he immediately fell in love with. Years of listening to and playing with his grandfather- Paul Montgomery, his parents-Gregg and Kathy Gelb, and his studies at both the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, had Chris steeped in the language of Jazz and prepared him to explore the art further; particularly the early style of the 1920s and 1930s. His love of antique drums and instruments, and the unique sounds that accompany them, also fuel his focus on this particular style. Chris has appeared on stage, recording, and film with Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks Orchestra, Sweet Megg and the Wayfarers, The Gregg Gelb Quartet, and has been recorded on many albums ranging from Jazz, Country, Pop… all the way to Heavy Metal. Most recently, he was featured on screen and the soundtrack of the 2016 film, Cafe Society.
Chris holds a High School diploma from UNC-School of the Arts and a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies from UNC-Greensboro.
