ABOUT​
A native of Cambridge, OH, and a student of such prestigious programs as the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Michigan State University Jazz Studies Program, where he studied under Rodney Whitaker. He toured nationally and internationally with the Larry Fuller Trio from 2017 to 2019, and has performed as a sideman with bandleaders including Wessell Anderson, Peter Bernstein, Bobby Broom, Tia Fuller, Philip and Winard Harper, Christian Howes, Willie Jones III, Wynton Marsalis, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Tomoko Omura, Johnny O'Neal, Houston Person, Ben Paterson, Jeremy Pelt, Bria Skonberg, as well as many others in New York and throughout the United States. He is active nationally as a bandleader and educator, and has worked with programs including Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz for Young People, Christian Howes’ Creative Strings Workshop, and Keith Hall's Summer Drum Intensive. He is also the director of the Midwestern arts initiative Appalachian Muse.
Press Clippings and Quotes
"George DeLancey understands the entire scope and history of the bass, his playing reflects this and looks towards the future. As a composer, he is without a doubt, one of the most creative melodists of his generation."
- Todd Stoll, Jazz at Lincoln Center - Education, Vice President
"Deploying exceptional players, DeLancey nevertheless commands the forefront; he's the driver here, pushing tunes... with zest and an unerring sense of drama. His solos are crystalline, his placement precise."
- Carlo Wolff, Downbeat
"His command of the elements in harmony, melody, and rhythm is superb, and displays a sophisticated sense of swing, coupled with maturity in composition and arrangements."
- James Nadal, All About Jazz
"Bassist George DeLancey boasts a lithe touch and a beautiful tone, but so do many of his peers on the New York City jazz scene. What sets DeLancey apart is his sophisticated composing and arranging... DeLancey paints vignettes that evoke the vibrancy of New York City at every turn."
- JAZZIZ
"The quality is high caliber, rooted in the post-bop lineage of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers: well-written riffs, interlocking ensemble parts and blistering, thrill-ride solos. Although he’s dedicated to swinging, that hardly means DeLancey is a conservative-minded player."
- Jack Walton, South Bend Tribune
"It’s filled with modern but timeless post-bop compositions, indelible melodies, and excellent ensemble playing... top-notch modern jazz that swings."
- Andrew Patton, JazzColumbus Weekly
"There's a tremendous amount of strength and vitality in the ways in which DeLancey animates the music's foundation and communicates..."
- David A. Orthmann, All About Jazz
"His music brings to mind... Pettiford's grace and Charles Mingus' aspirations to be heir to the Duke Ellington legacy."
- Mark Corroto, All About Jazz
Judy Carmichael's Jazz Inspired
Interview with the wonderful virtuoso stride pianist and musical personality Judy Carmichael on her internationally syndicated show "Judy Carmichael's Jazz Inspired"