Home » Jazz Articles » In Tribute To... » Remembering All About Jazz's Dave Binder / John Kelman
Remembering All About Jazz's Dave Binder / John Kelman
Courtesy Rosemary Hancock
It is with great sadness that All About Jazz must announce the death of Dave Binder, better known to millions of readers as John Kelman. Dave died of a heart attack on August 10th, after a long bout of illness. For twenty years Dave was the most internationally renowned of all AAJ's contributors, penning over 2,700 articles which racked up tens of millions of page views. As senior editor for many years, Dave was a guide and mentor to numerous contributors, many of whom became his friends. His unparalleled knowledge of this music, his boundless enthusiasm and his gracious, generous manner with all comers made him a pillar of our community. The esteem in which he was held by musicians around the world speaks volumes for his importance as a tastemaker. AAJ has lost a truly fine ambassador. The music has lost one of its greatest advocates.
If you have a story that you would like to share about John / Dave, email it to us or post it in the comments section below.
The terribly sad news of John's passing (he was always John to me) has come as a great shock. He had endured a lot of health issues for quite a few years but faced all his trials with a healthy mixture of optimism and pragmatism. It cannot have been easy for him or for his wife, Rio.
John was my editor when I began writing for All About Jazz in 2006. He was thorough and even-handed, praising when merited and dishing out tough love when it was equally deserved. He instilled in me the idea that anything less than my best effort was a waste of time.
I had the great pleasure to meet John at the Penang Island Jazz Festival, Malaysia, in 2011. As keynote speaker John gave a presentation about the interweaving of musical cultures that has grown with the ECM label—a label nobody knew better than John. His attention to detail, his enthusiasm and his incredible knowledge were inspiring, but it was also great to get to know him as a person. He was warm, open-minded and easy to get along with. We would Skype each other periodically thereafter, and our chats revealed a man of many interests and great humor.
When editing became too much for John, taking up too much of his cherished writing time I stepped into the breach, in turn editing his own writing. And boy could he write! Has anybody anywhere written more on the annual Punkt Festival in Norway than John Kelman? Or about Norwegian jazz in general? His refusal to take the short cuts never ceased to amaze me. Check out his review of Dutch guitarist Jan Akkerman's 26-CD box set, The Complete Jan Akkerman (pushing 350,000 reads!) or his absolutely mental 14,000-word review of Robert Fripp's Exposures! John certainly did not do things by halves!
I will miss chatting with John about North American and Irish politics and music of all stripes. I will miss his reviews of ECM albums, which were always on the money. I might not miss editing some of his longer submissions, but I am sure he would forgive me for that admission! Rest in peace, John. And thanks.
You can put me in the category of folks who consider John a mentor. Initially, I considered my first AAJ submission, an interview, as a one-time event. However, John convinced me that AAJ had a place for a contributor who sees himself first and foremost a music lover, and not as a hard core jazz fan. Thanks to him and his encouragement, I had the bounty of interviewing some of the best musicians on the planet. It turned out we were kindred spirits in terms of seeing ourselves as music fans first, although the breadth of his interests and the depth of his knowledge were vastly beyond mine . His skills as a writer were extraordinary, and in his role as an editor he displayed great empathy, always improving my work, yet leaving it in my voice. Considering all the musicians he interviewed, the concerts he'd seen, the articles he wrote and edited, it's no surprise that the depth of his musical knowledge was off the charts. When I came across Lenny Breau, the Canadian guitarists' guitarist, I was flabbergasted, so I asked John if he had ever heard of him. "Sure, I saw him play a few times in little clubs, and my guitar teacher introduced me to him." I told him then that I definitely wanted to interview him and capture some of that musical history.
A little bit of time passed and I interviewed with the band, The Ringers, that had three guitarists' guitarists out front: Michael Landau, Wayne Krantz and Jimmy Herring. I made a point of asking each of them about their insights into Lenny Breau. After that I circled back to John about doing the interview we had previously discussed.
John was funny, articulate, engaging, and insightful—what a blast it was to speak with him. I told him he should be doing radio, he laughed and said, "John McLaughlin told me the same thing!" After reading the news of his passing, I immediately uploaded that 2013 interview with the AAJ-G.O.A.T. to YouTube.
You can listen to our conversation below (in the video section.
Although I never had the chance to meet Kelman in person, our communication was always open and warm. I first came across his work through his insightful and detailed articles and interviews at AAJ, which were a joy to read. Our connection grew stronger when he began editing my articles. He was always encouraging and supportive, offering guidance that helped me grow as a writer. Kelman was undoubtedly one of the best music writers of all time, and his loss feels monumental—like a library has been burned down. I will miss him deeply.
Of Dave's many qualities, among which his enthusiasm and readiness to help were prominent, his ability to turn an article round quickly always impressed me. Dave's daily reports from Norwegian jazz festivals, particularly from PUNKT, were up on AAJ without fail the morning after each day's events. Dedicated to his craft, Dave stayed up each night until the report was filed.
I met John at the Oslo Jazz Festival in 2011. As well as some amazing concerts—Nils Petter Molvaer Trio, Charlie Haden Liberation Orchestra, Karin Krog, Tom Harrell—John and I toured the museums together. He was just so easy to be with but with such energy and enthusiasm, he put me to shame. We had little in common when it came to politics (John described his as "middle of the road" ) or food (John was no gourmet) but when it came to music, we had shared tastes. It has been so sad to hear of his health issues over the years but a total shock to hear of his passing. His voice at AAJ will be sorely missed. Say "hi" to George Russell for me, John!
I first came into contact with John when I joined AAJ about 15 years ago. He was very helpful in helping me to navigate the website, answering my questions about submitting work, etc. I met him in person only once, when he visited the UK and we were both at the JazzFM Awards (around 2012?). I'm pretty sure that he once told me that we share the same birthday—5 February 1956. We also shared a love of King Crimson, although we perhaps differed in our opinions about the band's 'best' period.
I had been reading and enjoying John's work via All About Jazz for decades before actually meeting and talking with the man. I always marveled about his passion when it came to anything ECM. And in 2021, as I was helping the estate of Lyle Mays to market his final recorded work "Eberhard," John was the first person I wanted to talk to and send the track and get his feedback. Even though John was not writing for AAJ at the time, he made an exception because he loved and admired Lyle Mays.
John was the very first journalist to receive Lyle's (Grammy winning) final track. So, it was fitting that we took one of John's beautiful quotes from his review and posted it on Lyle's website when we announced its release (and John's quote still remains front and center on Lyle's site). I will never forget how honored John was that we used his quote.
From that moment on, we were fast friends and having lengthy Zoom conversations (since it was during the pandemic period) not only about Lyle and the Pat Metheny Group but also ECM recordings in general. Those conversations went beyond the recordings themselves and into deeper analysis and discussions about being a music professional and the state of the scene, et al. It was in these discussions where John revealed his ongoing health issues to me.
As hard as it got for him during the ups and downs, I always found that asking him about a delicious ECM album would offer a little window of relief whereby he could go off talking about something that clearly moved him into another zone where his illness was not allowed to be included. One such album that I recall we discussed in great depth was John Abercrombie's Characters from 1978. I can't listen to the album without remembering the masterclass he gave me about the recording. In fact, this album was the subject of a Rediscovery article John contributed to AAJ in 2015. Give it a read for John's ECM and journalistic chops are on full display.
Thank you, John Kelman!
When I started at All About Jazz in 2010, I was briefly an editor. John reminded me more than once that my job was not to rewrite others' reviews. He also recognized some writing potential and suggested that I try my hand at reviewing. Seven hundred reviews and articles later, I can honestly say that John's encouragement, feedback, and his articles made me a better writer. It's something I'll always appreciate.
John was everyone's knowledgeable jazz uncle. He was always so lovely to me and had a knack of making me feel like I'd known him all my life. He made me an open invitation to stay with his family and visit all the local Ottawa jazz venues, a chance I wish I had redeemed. I will miss him and his writing.
About 15 years ago, I contacted John to thank him for his two excellent reviews on All About Jazz of two minimalist masterworks recordings I was on, and we quickly became virtual friends. At that time, my performing career came to an end due to a hand condition, and I started writing as a creative outlet on my blog, Also Sprach FraKathustra. John was kind enough to follow my blog, and encouraged me to continue writing. The blog was picked up by the Huffington Post, and when that relationship ended in five years ago, John suggested that I submit my articles to All About Jazz. I responded that I didn't think my topics would be a good fit—too interdisciplinary, not enough focus on jazz per se. John was unfazed—he said, "AAJ is open to branching out and covering a broad range of topics—I think it would be great for you and great for AAJ. Give it a shot, and tell Michael I recommended you!" John's suggestion and recommendation brought me to AAJ, where I have since published over two dozen articles and where I also now work as a contributing editor. My relationship with AAJ has been a highlight of my career, and I have John to thank for that. He was also a great influence as a writer—his writing is always deep, clear, and insightful, revealing an encyclopedic knowledge across different genres that always astonished me. And he was a great mentor who always had excellent suggestions, and he encouraged me to branch out according to my interests, which brought me to AAJ. John was a dear friend, mentor, and colleague and a kind and caring person who made everything he touched better—he will be sorely missed.
Generosity and dedication. Those are the first two words I think about when I think about John Kelman. To me, he will always be John Kelman, the penname he used as a music writer. He was my mentor and editor for a long time and gave me invaluable advice and support from the moment I started at AAJ. He was a serious reader of the reviews I handed in and he brought the same dedication to his work as an editor as he did as a writer. I'm sure John made a difference to many writers and not only to me. He was a role model and will remain so after his passing, but it was also clear that it was hard for others to live up to the standards he set for himself and his writing.
Michael Ricci once aptly referred to his effort as a music writer as "herculean." The amount of writing and listening he did was awe-inspiring, almost incomprehensible considering the high quality and thoroughness of his articles. In the end, he had to slow down because of illness, but as late as 2023, he posted an impressively detailed best of 2023 list that spoke volumes about his dedication to and love of music.
It was a love he passed on through his writing, and he had a style that was his own. His musical expertise was acknowledged by ECM, the label he knew so much about, but his tastes and knowledge were wide and deep, and many labels and musicians benefitted from his musical observations.
He excelled in any genre of music writing, but his reviews were especially impressive. A review is an ephemeral genre, but John's reviews remain the gold standard, closer to liner notes or an essay than a quick assessment.
Although he had a sharp analytical mind, his humanity shone through in the things he wrote and through his work you got a sense of his personality, a generous and dedicated person. Tellingly, John acknowledged all the things All About Jazz gave him, but it's hard to find another person who gave more to All About Jazz than John. He will be missed, but not forgotten.
Dave / John edited many of my early AAJ pieces and I was often impressed by the depth of his musical knowledge and his ongoing devotion to the website as a vehicle for promotion and preservation of jazz. He once asked me to cover for him at Tallin's wonderful Jazzkaar Festival and it was obvious from the number of Estonians who spoke highly of him that he was an excellent jazz ambassador.
For a long time, John Kelman was my "go to" person for editing and providing his views on my articles. We often ended up exchanging emails and occasional phone calls about the music itself. From these exchanges and his many wonderful articles and reviews, I found his understanding of the music to be at the highest level. And he was very dedicated to the All About Jazz website and maintaining its highest standards.
I never understood why he decided to have a pseudonym and sometimes wondered if he led a completely different life somewhere that we didn't know about. John (aka Dave), it was great to know you, and to be enriched by your understanding and analysis of the music.
John Kelman (Dave Binder) became a mainstay in my All About Jazz world when he joined the staff shortly after I did. His editing was always accurate, precise, and kindly expressed. He was patient, informative, and extremely knowledgeable. We developed a collegial friendship that resulted in us becoming friends and my becoming friends with his wife, Rio, with whom I shared a great love of Handel, Baroque opera and countertenor singing. Dave's exhaustive knowledge of progressive rock and guitar always informed me and added to my writing. He had a sweet and giving disposition. He was always gentle in his direction, for which I was grateful. Rave on, John Kelman, wherever you are!
The jazz community mourns the loss of a stalwart supporter and gifted writer, Dave Binder. Dave's insightful contributions to All About Jazz enriched the lives of countless music lovers, fostering a deeper appreciation for the art form he cherished.
Through his words, Dave painted vivid portraits of the music's legends and rising stars. His reviews offered a captivating blend of knowledge and enthusiasm, transporting readers to the heart of the performance.
Dave's passion for jazz extended far beyond the written word. He was undoubtedly a champion for the genre, tirelessly promoting its rich history and captivating sounds.
All About Jazz will feel the absence of Dave's singular voice. But his legacy lives on in the countless articles that continue to inspire and educate. We offer our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
Rest in peace, Dave. You will be deeply missed.
I first began seeing the name "John Kelman" on various jazz-related message boards, liked the sharpness and thoroughness of his writing, and eventually found his articles on the All About Jazz website. In fact, his work first made me aware that All About Jazz existed. I particularly enjoyed his live concert reports and coverage of the ECM label. I also loved his takes on various prog bands such as King Crimson. I was never lucky enough to actually meet him, but once he edited one of my reviews and complimented me on my writing style. After that, I walked around with a big smile on my face for the rest of the day.
I started as an editor at AAJ and was fortunate to have John as my mentor. The experience quickly sharpened my editorial skills, and I am sure that it was also helpful when I transitioned back to writing. When John edited my writing, he was consistently kind and helpful. I did get to hang out with him in person twice, at the Festival International De Jazz De Montreal . The first time I arrived a day early to hear King Crimson, and also attended a press conference with John. The second time he returned to the festival to hear Soft Machine. His deep background knowledge was especially helpful when he edited that review.
I never met "John" but when he was editing my reviews, he taught me many things. I knew I was learning from a pro.
John/Dave was also a friend of mine. Aside from being an incredibly prolific writer, he was a great contributor to the jazz+ community and a remarkably thoughtful individual. He endured very difficult times in the last decade of his life, but he always seemed to fight his way back. As you say, he was remarkably resilient. His is a great loss.
I was extremely saddened to hear of John Kelman's passing. John was a passionate and knowledgeable music lover and a wonderful writer who gave so much to the jazz community through his words and his work at All About Jazz. Those contributions—in-depth reviews and articles that demonstrated a deep wisdom—were and are pieces to admire and uphold as beacons of truth.
On a personal note, I can honestly say there's no one who was kinder or more helpful to me when I was trying to get my writing together relatively early on. His patience, editorial hand and guidance were invaluable. Prior to coming aboard at AAJ, I was pretty green. John essentially took me under his wing and helped me polish my prose and stretch to try to reach my potential. He always had helpful suggestions, making it clear when it was necessary to go granular or, conversely, when it didn't make sense to get into the weeds. John offered some great challenges—"Why don't you try to write an album review where you don't actually mention any of the songs" is one that readily springs to mind—and they always helped me grow.
No question was off limits with John. Whether I asked for a Nils Petter Molvær album recommendation, how to go about some aspect of writing a press release, or simply wanted advice on a camera lens, he always took the time to share his knowledge and provide encouragement. I owe John a debt of gratitude. We never had the chance to meet in person—our paths only crossed on the interwebs over the years—but I still felt like he was a steady presence, always right (t)here.
My condolences to John's wife, Rio; his friends, who numbered many; and all of the musicians and musical community members he so deeply loved... who loved him back. R.I.P. John.
I never met Dave/John, but like many of us, "saw" and chatted with him enough to feel like I knew him. Any article or post was an opening for a comments discussion that (in true music-nerd fashion) could easily drift anywhere. Somehow he was everywhere on countless platforms all across the web, always happy to engage, always equally good-natured whether you'd agree or disagree. He wouldn't bother feeding into negativity or trolling arguments when that time could be spent dissecting some 1975 obscurity in ridiculous detail instead. I remember some comments criticizing his writing style—say what you will about it, we can all agree it's one of a kind—and he'd just take it in stride and talk about how we all try to get better. That generosity and positivity are something all of us can always use more of.
For all the darkness that threatened to engulf him, Dave Binder remained a fountain of unbridled enthusiasm for the music he loved as well as his writing about it. No doubt those dual passions sustained him in ways we can only imagine, but we might well see our departed colleague and friend as a role model for patience, perseverance and devotion to our own abiding pursuits, whatever form they may take in the wake of his passing.
I met John through the old AAJ Forum. I was impressed by his thoughtful and insightful comments and his enthusiastic take on jazz. But my real relationship with John was in reading his many album reviews.
John wasn't just a reviewer he was a jazz journalist. I've never read more in-depth reviews than John's. Most were long, detailed, insightful, educational, and fun to read.
It was clear that John rarely wrote a review of an album he didn't like. He was very picky in his tastes. He not only knew what he liked, but he could tell you exactly why he liked it. It was very common for John to give albums 4 ½ or 5-star reviews. After reading those reviews, I would get the album and listen even more closely to hear what John had heard.
He once told me that he didn't start writing a review until he had listened to the album at least four times (it may have been more!). He not only wrote in-depth about each album but also compared it to other albums by that artist or other artists, and commented about the talents and history of the sidemen. Each review was a mini-seminar on jazz. His knowledge of jazz wasn't just deep; it was vast.
John and his wonderful, passionate writing about jazz will be sorely missed. The only consolation is that his more than 2,800 articles published by All About Jazz can still be found on the site. Look 'em up today!
Long live, John Kelman!
I never met John in person, (nor did I know he wrote with a pseudonym), but I've read his insightful & passionate reviews for years and he often helped me edit my essays. I followed his agonizing health journey these last few years and was always struck by his endurance and optimism... his last Facebook post was that he was so happy to be leaving the hospital and returning to his beloved wife, Rio... I was overwhelmed with shock and sadness to read of his sudden passing. R.I.P John/Dave
Dave Binder, or John Kelman as I knew him, was the first editor to offer me the chance to write freely. I had submitted a piece to London Jazz News and they published it. I had books published with Hamlyn Octopus on botanical subjects, but music was a passion rather than something I was an expert in. However, I got a message, then a call from John Kelman who introduced himself and asked if I would be interested in writing for All About Jazz because he had liked my ideas, read the published article, and asked if I would consider writing for AAJ. Thinking he meant one piece I asked him what he would like me to write about. He said reviews were fine but would I like a column of my own where I could write about things related to jazz that I felt important, or didn't fit in another column? The title would be my choice. We agreed Scumbles would be appropriate because I was also writing with a free jazz saxophonist, who talked about art as well as music, and 'scumbles' was a term he used. I loved the word, especially as it means an eclectic array of art and I felt that fit with some of the ideas. John accepted my next piece, and the column grew—here were articles on how jazz has changed, musical shows, an art exhibition by Ian Dury, and Scumbles became populated by a mix of articles including interviews with Barb Jungr, Davey Payne, Daniel Bennett, a review of a book by Peter Brötzmann and other subjects. AAJ also published reviews and other articles.
John published articles that would normally not find a home, using Scumbles as the vehicle. He told me he had faith in my writing, understood what motivated me, and would support that. It was incredibly encouraging.
My point is that Dave Binder/John Kelman took a chance on an unknown writer and allowed me freedom while supporting my stumbling steps into music journalism. He was brave enough to take a chance and saw the potential that at the time I could not. I also realized a few years later that John had me confused with another successful writer in the beginning—something I shall forever be grateful for. If he ever realized it, he said nothing and continued to support my work for AAJ. People like John come around every so often and somehow know how to offer consistent support without pushing and his vision for AAJ struck me as one that not only saw the platform growing but also supporting a huge array of music-related areas. I think he succeeded.
It's hard to overstate the impact Dave Binder (better known in these parts by his nom de plume, John Kelman) has had on AAJ and me personally. It suffices to say that were it not for the encouragement and advice I received from such a prolific and erudite writer as John, I likely would not be a writer today. Through John's kind recommendations to others, I received many writing opportunities and subsequent connections that have enriched my writing resume—for AAJ and beyond. Though we never met in the flesh, I will cherish the memories of the conversational hours we shared on Skype over the years. John/Dave was warm, welcoming and generous with his knowledge and time despite the many health difficulties that beset him in the last few years. Knowing him, it also wouldn't surprise me if the story I tell here is recounted many times over among AAJ's writers. He was a special talent but moreover, a special guy. He will be sorely missed and never forgotten. My heart goes out to his wife, Rio and the rest of his family. Rest in peace, my friend.
I never met Dave/John (in fact, it was a surprise to me that his birth name was not John Kelman!), but have enjoyed countless articles he wrote for AAJ. Our tastes (including progressive rock and jazz fusion) overlapped a lot, and I came to rely on his reviews of pricey items like huge archival boxed sets—if John Kelman said it was good, I knew it would be. Knowledgeable and fair, he was an excellent writer and a huge part of AAJ that I know I and others will greatly miss. Godspeed, Dave.
John Kelman helped shape how I write stories. His edits and guidance on my pieces for All About Jazz were invaluable to me when I was just getting started in music writing. His encouragement helped me get started in journalism as a college student. His own work has an incredible eye for detail that I have tried to emulate in my own writing. He would listen to every album 8-10 times to understand the artist and go beyond surface-level details. His reviews of box sets that stretch for thousands and thousands of words are a masterclass in long-form writing.
John was also an incredibly prolific writer. He will be missed. I wish I had a chance to meet him in person and tell him how important he was to me and countless other writers that he inspired. Before he passed, he was working on a book on King Crimson, combining his countless All About Jazz stories and other reporting. I look forward to reading it once it's released.
John was always kind to me. The best editor perhaps that I ever worked with—with the notable exception of my Editor in Chief in Diario Jaén in Spain, Juana González. John always allowed me to express what I wanted to express in the way I needed to express it—some editors are intrusive, even arrogant—he never was. John was kind and funny, and he loved dogs. The news of his loss has hit me hard and I have tried to honor his memory. Above all, he was a good man who knew and loved jazz, and he graciously shared the best of his heart with all of us every time he penned a piece. I will always be grateful to have known and worked with him. My deepest condolences go to his wife, family, and friends. May his memory be a blessing.
I came to AAJ in 2001 already an outlier, an anomaly. I'm a humorist (an humorist? Anh umorist?), which is like stepping into the batter's box with an 0-2 count to begin with. And even worse, I had the unmitigated temerity to make fun of Jazz (obviously before the passage of the law in 2007 requiring all temerity to be mitigated).
But I digress.
I expected pushback. I expected a thousand furrowed brows, castigating me for daring to dust the precious American institution of Jazz with a thick coat of silliness and irreverence. I did not expect those faces along AAJ's Mount Rushmore (including Michael Ricci, C. Michael Bailey, Carl Hager, and John Kelman), to laugh along with me.
John Kelman (a.k.a. Dave Binder, a.k.a. Pope Urban IX) particularly understood my underlying belief that to take anything too seriously is as much a crime against it as dismissing it entirely. As an editor, he deciphered my peculiar style and did not attempt to impose order on my jailbreak wordplay. In the simplest terms, he got me.
If my character voice—the Genius—is difficult, my regular self is even worse. I'm an introvert, a recluse; for most of the past 14 years, my sole form of communication with the outside world has been Facebook. John and I (and his wife/muse/crew chief Rio) have been friends for most of that time. We have followed each other's struggles with our vocations and avocations, our health issues, our enthusiasms and frustrations. I saw in him a kindred soul, a fighter, an obstinate cuss who'd never let his own human frailties win.
Though his body finally failed him, Dave did not lose. He has transitioned to the next world and rests in eternal comfort; he is survived in this frail mortal frame by his immense and immutable body of work, by the love and friendship he fostered, by the gift of self he gave without measure.
I will remember Dave with a jaunt through the ECM catalog and, in a manner befitting a Canadian, a pint of Molson. You may each remember him in your own preferred fashion, perhaps with some King Crimson about whom he elucidated with such brilliance that the band itself would have been inspired to write a 20-minute song about it which Dave would have then been compelled to write about even more brightly thus creating an infinite cycle of review/recording that would eventually culminate in a singularity whereby Robert Fripp would explode in an infinite cloud of verbs.
Rest well, Dave, and know that you left the music better than you found it.
17 years ago Dave gave me some spot-on, priceless advice about a "life situation" I was going through, for which I'll always be grateful. R.I.P.
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I assist Glass Onyon PR and was promoting Jeff Berlin's album dedicated to Jack Bruce. I contacted John Kelman to see if he would speak to Jeff and he said he was too tied up but recommended I try Mike Jacobs. Mike ended up writing an outstanding piece for AAJ about Jeff. I have stayed in touch with Mike but also John over the years. We exchanged many notes on his health but also about my love for Yes, Prog, and especially Pat Metheny with a little bit of Crim in there for good measure. John shared many articles he wrote about Pat. Somehow I told him I saw Pat with Michael Brecker and we spoke about the effort that was made to find a match for Michael's blood type when he was diagnosed with stage 0 blood cancer. I was working in the cancer field and mentioned a local drive to find that match. Of course John said not only was he aware but that he submitted his blood sample to see if he could help Michael. John was always the nicest guy and I enjoyed my exchanges with him very much. I'll miss him terribly and it's a shock that he won't be around anymore. My condolences to his wife Rio and all who knew and loved him.
Ottawa is Canada's capital, but anything but a big city. That being the case, imagine my surprise when I discovered that John Kelman, whose work I'd been reading and enjoying, lived in Ottawa. How did I not know this guy?
Turns out I had known him since about 1971, the year I saw him playing Allman Brothers Band covers with a young band that played at my high school.
"John" and I finally got together and spent hours exchanging stories about our favourite musicians and various shows we'd seen. At one point, I told him how impressed I was by this guitarist—Dave Binder—who I'd first heard in high school and now was on an album by local singer/songwriter Lynn Miles. We ended the night and head off in separate directions. When I got home, there was an email waiting for me from him. He told me that he had to fess up that he was actually Dave Binder. We laughed about that everytime we saw each other again.
He shared a lot of information with me about his medical issues and the reason for the Dave / John thing, and I was constantly amazed by how much he could write about the music that moved him, and how fast he could crank it out.
Despite my ongoing encouragement, he resisted approaching other media. He was all in for AAJ.
We lost touch over the past few years—COVID and all that—but he was never far from my thoughts. I knew he was in failing health, but his death still came as a shock.
RIP, brother, and thanks for sharing the music with me over many years.
I met John Kelman at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2015, the year that I received the Bruce Lundvall Award. John was in the audience at the ceremony where festival founder Andre Menard presented me with the Bruce Lundvall Award and his praise meant a lot to me. We hung out in the press room that week and stayed in touch via email since, following each other's work. My last correspondence with him came in October of 2021, just after my Michael Brecker book had come out. As always, he was full of praise and mentioned that he was beginning one himself, based on stories he had written about King Crimson that appeared on AAJ. I know it will be great.
The first time I played Ottawa under my own name was the first time I met John Kelman—who'd already written about my work—in person. Journalists often make it a point not to be chummy, which I completely understand—they want to keep enough distance to be able judge an artist's work dispassionately.
Not John. He came to the Ottawa gig, stayed both sets, and invited me to hang out afterwards. I still have a vivid image of this tall guy, with an effervescent smile, clearly in love with the music and excited to discuss anything musically related. His was a passion infused with a delight, and over the years it was hard not to be infected with this delight every time we met.
We were scheduled to have one of our periodic phone conversations this month. I miss it already.
Beginning around 2004, his association with the ever-evolving All About Jazz proved to be the perfect medium for John's long-form studies of his chosen music. His ability to link the recorded works of one artist with another, passing through a connective maze of casual dalliances, firm (or infirm) employment and sessioneering, in a fertile and predominantly European scene, was legendary. I was very much in touch with him in the last months of his life as I, for a change, interviewed him on his work process. The results were to serve as an introduction to his forthcoming book, almost complete when he passed away. Ever stoic and uncomplaining about his health issues, he remained forensic in his music analysis, sharp as ever to the end. I'll miss him very much, as will many others on this European side of the pond.
It must have been in 2004 or 2005 the first time I met Dave Binder (aka John Kelman). I was touring Northern America with Nils Petter Molvaer and Dave came backstage after a concert in his hometown of Ottawa. Erik Honoré and I was starting a new festival we had called Punkt. I immediately invited Dave to come to Norway covering the festival for All About Jazz. Dave came and returned to Punkt the following years. The extensive coverage came with minute detail and proved a man with acute ears and with the ability to communicate to an international audience what he had witnessed in Norway: three hectic days with hardly any sleep, filled with concerts and this new form of concerts—Live Remixes was what we called them—taking samples of the previous concert and reconstructing this sound material through improvisations with electronics alongside more acoustic or electric based performers. Dave immediately understood the concept and was Punkt´s ambassador to an international jazz audience and beyond. His writing also included liner notes to a vast number of releases including Arve Henriksen's 2012 box-set Solidification.
Dave came to London covering a three-day Punkt festival at Kings Place as part of the London Jazz Festival. Some of the Jon Hassell album Last Night the Moon Came came from those sessions. Now both Jon, Peter, Dino and Dave are gone. The last time I saw him was during a Punkt night at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2016. By that time, he had cut down on his writing due to health issues. Dave was a generous man with appreciation of Norwegian music. I am forever grateful for getting to know some of the man. My thoughts go to Dave´s family.
All About Jazz not only lost one of its stars but we lost a global ambassador and I lost a friend.
Dave Binder (aka John Kelman) was a brilliant writer, a keen observer, a champion of both musicians and the people who wrote about them. He was prolific as a writer and an editor at All About Jazz. His insight drove discovery and proved invaluable to both our readers and our staff. His tireless dedication to his craft was peerless—at one point, he was averaging an album review a day and they weren't of the 250-word minimum variety. Dave went deep, always. His music knowledge was staggering and his passion and depth were apparent in every review. He was a walking encyclopedia when it came to all things ECM Records, progressive rock and fusion.
Dave was also particularly adept at conflict resolution which came in handy with the sometimes cantankerous members of the All About Jazz forum that he helped moderate for ten years.
I had the good fortune to hang with him on more than a few occasions over our 20 year friendship: at the Montreal Jazz Festival (see photo above), the Ottawa Jazz Festival (where he lived), the Kongsberg Jazz Festival in Norway—he even drove his Prius down from Ottawa to AAJ HQ and stayed with Rosemary and me. We all had a great time.
One of my fondest memories was when we teamed to cover the Montreal Audio Festival in 2019. We definitely ventured outside our comfort zones, made stuff up on the fly and had a blast in the process. Though Dave had never done anything like that before (or since), he was all in and did a fantastic job.
Rio, Dave's wife, said I gave him his big break in jazz journalism and the festivals I greenlit were some of the highlights of his life. With much respect, Dave made his own breaks, but knowing his jazz travels were some of his life's highlights, well, that is something I'll hold dear.
Thanks for everything, Dave.
Dave Binder a.k.a. John Kelman was my cousin. My father was Harry Kelman and he was Dave's uncle. Harry Kelman was a Canadian artist and Dave proudly displayed his art in his home. It wasn't known that Harry was also an unpublished poet in his younger days. Dave used to tell me how much my father's creativity was an inspiration to him. It was no surprise to me that he chose his surname. Dave and I were more than cousins. We were best friends. At a very young age, we had so much in common and shared a bond that continued into our adulthood.
My love of jazz began with the discovery of Thelonious Monk and Dave's passion for jazz opened my ears to so much more.
I have my friendship with the love of his life Rio which I will cherish and my recent memories to keep him alive in my heart, but what I would give to see the smile in his eyes and hear him laugh again.
I love you cuz... I always will.
If you have a story that you would like to share about John / Dave, email it to us or post it in the comments section below.
If you have a story that you would like to share about John / Dave, email it to us or post it in the comments section below.
Ian Patterson
The terribly sad news of John's passing (he was always John to me) has come as a great shock. He had endured a lot of health issues for quite a few years but faced all his trials with a healthy mixture of optimism and pragmatism. It cannot have been easy for him or for his wife, Rio. John was my editor when I began writing for All About Jazz in 2006. He was thorough and even-handed, praising when merited and dishing out tough love when it was equally deserved. He instilled in me the idea that anything less than my best effort was a waste of time.
I had the great pleasure to meet John at the Penang Island Jazz Festival, Malaysia, in 2011. As keynote speaker John gave a presentation about the interweaving of musical cultures that has grown with the ECM label—a label nobody knew better than John. His attention to detail, his enthusiasm and his incredible knowledge were inspiring, but it was also great to get to know him as a person. He was warm, open-minded and easy to get along with. We would Skype each other periodically thereafter, and our chats revealed a man of many interests and great humor.
When editing became too much for John, taking up too much of his cherished writing time I stepped into the breach, in turn editing his own writing. And boy could he write! Has anybody anywhere written more on the annual Punkt Festival in Norway than John Kelman? Or about Norwegian jazz in general? His refusal to take the short cuts never ceased to amaze me. Check out his review of Dutch guitarist Jan Akkerman's 26-CD box set, The Complete Jan Akkerman (pushing 350,000 reads!) or his absolutely mental 14,000-word review of Robert Fripp's Exposures! John certainly did not do things by halves!
I will miss chatting with John about North American and Irish politics and music of all stripes. I will miss his reviews of ECM albums, which were always on the money. I might not miss editing some of his longer submissions, but I am sure he would forgive me for that admission! Rest in peace, John. And thanks.
Alan Bryson
You can put me in the category of folks who consider John a mentor. Initially, I considered my first AAJ submission, an interview, as a one-time event. However, John convinced me that AAJ had a place for a contributor who sees himself first and foremost a music lover, and not as a hard core jazz fan. Thanks to him and his encouragement, I had the bounty of interviewing some of the best musicians on the planet. It turned out we were kindred spirits in terms of seeing ourselves as music fans first, although the breadth of his interests and the depth of his knowledge were vastly beyond mine . His skills as a writer were extraordinary, and in his role as an editor he displayed great empathy, always improving my work, yet leaving it in my voice. Considering all the musicians he interviewed, the concerts he'd seen, the articles he wrote and edited, it's no surprise that the depth of his musical knowledge was off the charts. When I came across Lenny Breau, the Canadian guitarists' guitarist, I was flabbergasted, so I asked John if he had ever heard of him. "Sure, I saw him play a few times in little clubs, and my guitar teacher introduced me to him." I told him then that I definitely wanted to interview him and capture some of that musical history. A little bit of time passed and I interviewed with the band, The Ringers, that had three guitarists' guitarists out front: Michael Landau, Wayne Krantz and Jimmy Herring. I made a point of asking each of them about their insights into Lenny Breau. After that I circled back to John about doing the interview we had previously discussed.
John was funny, articulate, engaging, and insightful—what a blast it was to speak with him. I told him he should be doing radio, he laughed and said, "John McLaughlin told me the same thing!" After reading the news of his passing, I immediately uploaded that 2013 interview with the AAJ-G.O.A.T. to YouTube.
You can listen to our conversation below (in the video section.
Nenad Georgievski
Although I never had the chance to meet Kelman in person, our communication was always open and warm. I first came across his work through his insightful and detailed articles and interviews at AAJ, which were a joy to read. Our connection grew stronger when he began editing my articles. He was always encouraging and supportive, offering guidance that helped me grow as a writer. Kelman was undoubtedly one of the best music writers of all time, and his loss feels monumental—like a library has been burned down. I will miss him deeply. Chris May
Of Dave's many qualities, among which his enthusiasm and readiness to help were prominent, his ability to turn an article round quickly always impressed me. Dave's daily reports from Norwegian jazz festivals, particularly from PUNKT, were up on AAJ without fail the morning after each day's events. Dedicated to his craft, Dave stayed up each night until the report was filed. Duncan Heining
I met John at the Oslo Jazz Festival in 2011. As well as some amazing concerts—Nils Petter Molvaer Trio, Charlie Haden Liberation Orchestra, Karin Krog, Tom Harrell—John and I toured the museums together. He was just so easy to be with but with such energy and enthusiasm, he put me to shame. We had little in common when it came to politics (John described his as "middle of the road" ) or food (John was no gourmet) but when it came to music, we had shared tastes. It has been so sad to hear of his health issues over the years but a total shock to hear of his passing. His voice at AAJ will be sorely missed. Say "hi" to George Russell for me, John! Bruce Lindsay
I first came into contact with John when I joined AAJ about 15 years ago. He was very helpful in helping me to navigate the website, answering my questions about submitting work, etc. I met him in person only once, when he visited the UK and we were both at the JazzFM Awards (around 2012?). I'm pretty sure that he once told me that we share the same birthday—5 February 1956. We also shared a love of King Crimson, although we perhaps differed in our opinions about the band's 'best' period. Joseph Vella
I had been reading and enjoying John's work via All About Jazz for decades before actually meeting and talking with the man. I always marveled about his passion when it came to anything ECM. And in 2021, as I was helping the estate of Lyle Mays to market his final recorded work "Eberhard," John was the first person I wanted to talk to and send the track and get his feedback. Even though John was not writing for AAJ at the time, he made an exception because he loved and admired Lyle Mays. John was the very first journalist to receive Lyle's (Grammy winning) final track. So, it was fitting that we took one of John's beautiful quotes from his review and posted it on Lyle's website when we announced its release (and John's quote still remains front and center on Lyle's site). I will never forget how honored John was that we used his quote.
From that moment on, we were fast friends and having lengthy Zoom conversations (since it was during the pandemic period) not only about Lyle and the Pat Metheny Group but also ECM recordings in general. Those conversations went beyond the recordings themselves and into deeper analysis and discussions about being a music professional and the state of the scene, et al. It was in these discussions where John revealed his ongoing health issues to me.
As hard as it got for him during the ups and downs, I always found that asking him about a delicious ECM album would offer a little window of relief whereby he could go off talking about something that clearly moved him into another zone where his illness was not allowed to be included. One such album that I recall we discussed in great depth was John Abercrombie's Characters from 1978. I can't listen to the album without remembering the masterclass he gave me about the recording. In fact, this album was the subject of a Rediscovery article John contributed to AAJ in 2015. Give it a read for John's ECM and journalistic chops are on full display.
Thank you, John Kelman!
Karl Ackermann
When I started at All About Jazz in 2010, I was briefly an editor. John reminded me more than once that my job was not to rewrite others' reviews. He also recognized some writing potential and suggested that I try my hand at reviewing. Seven hundred reviews and articles later, I can honestly say that John's encouragement, feedback, and his articles made me a better writer. It's something I'll always appreciate. Fiona Ord-Shrimpton
John was everyone's knowledgeable jazz uncle. He was always so lovely to me and had a knack of making me feel like I'd known him all my life. He made me an open invitation to stay with his family and visit all the local Ottawa jazz venues, a chance I wish I had redeemed. I will miss him and his writing. Kurt Ellenberger
About 15 years ago, I contacted John to thank him for his two excellent reviews on All About Jazz of two minimalist masterworks recordings I was on, and we quickly became virtual friends. At that time, my performing career came to an end due to a hand condition, and I started writing as a creative outlet on my blog, Also Sprach FraKathustra. John was kind enough to follow my blog, and encouraged me to continue writing. The blog was picked up by the Huffington Post, and when that relationship ended in five years ago, John suggested that I submit my articles to All About Jazz. I responded that I didn't think my topics would be a good fit—too interdisciplinary, not enough focus on jazz per se. John was unfazed—he said, "AAJ is open to branching out and covering a broad range of topics—I think it would be great for you and great for AAJ. Give it a shot, and tell Michael I recommended you!" John's suggestion and recommendation brought me to AAJ, where I have since published over two dozen articles and where I also now work as a contributing editor. My relationship with AAJ has been a highlight of my career, and I have John to thank for that. He was also a great influence as a writer—his writing is always deep, clear, and insightful, revealing an encyclopedic knowledge across different genres that always astonished me. And he was a great mentor who always had excellent suggestions, and he encouraged me to branch out according to my interests, which brought me to AAJ. John was a dear friend, mentor, and colleague and a kind and caring person who made everything he touched better—he will be sorely missed. Jakob Baekgaard
Generosity and dedication. Those are the first two words I think about when I think about John Kelman. To me, he will always be John Kelman, the penname he used as a music writer. He was my mentor and editor for a long time and gave me invaluable advice and support from the moment I started at AAJ. He was a serious reader of the reviews I handed in and he brought the same dedication to his work as an editor as he did as a writer. I'm sure John made a difference to many writers and not only to me. He was a role model and will remain so after his passing, but it was also clear that it was hard for others to live up to the standards he set for himself and his writing. Michael Ricci once aptly referred to his effort as a music writer as "herculean." The amount of writing and listening he did was awe-inspiring, almost incomprehensible considering the high quality and thoroughness of his articles. In the end, he had to slow down because of illness, but as late as 2023, he posted an impressively detailed best of 2023 list that spoke volumes about his dedication to and love of music.
It was a love he passed on through his writing, and he had a style that was his own. His musical expertise was acknowledged by ECM, the label he knew so much about, but his tastes and knowledge were wide and deep, and many labels and musicians benefitted from his musical observations.
He excelled in any genre of music writing, but his reviews were especially impressive. A review is an ephemeral genre, but John's reviews remain the gold standard, closer to liner notes or an essay than a quick assessment.
Although he had a sharp analytical mind, his humanity shone through in the things he wrote and through his work you got a sense of his personality, a generous and dedicated person. Tellingly, John acknowledged all the things All About Jazz gave him, but it's hard to find another person who gave more to All About Jazz than John. He will be missed, but not forgotten.
Phillip Woolever
Dave / John edited many of my early AAJ pieces and I was often impressed by the depth of his musical knowledge and his ongoing devotion to the website as a vehicle for promotion and preservation of jazz. He once asked me to cover for him at Tallin's wonderful Jazzkaar Festival and it was obvious from the number of Estonians who spoke highly of him that he was an excellent jazz ambassador. Victor L. Schermer
For a long time, John Kelman was my "go to" person for editing and providing his views on my articles. We often ended up exchanging emails and occasional phone calls about the music itself. From these exchanges and his many wonderful articles and reviews, I found his understanding of the music to be at the highest level. And he was very dedicated to the All About Jazz website and maintaining its highest standards. I never understood why he decided to have a pseudonym and sometimes wondered if he led a completely different life somewhere that we didn't know about. John (aka Dave), it was great to know you, and to be enriched by your understanding and analysis of the music.
C. Michael Bailey
John Kelman (Dave Binder) became a mainstay in my All About Jazz world when he joined the staff shortly after I did. His editing was always accurate, precise, and kindly expressed. He was patient, informative, and extremely knowledgeable. We developed a collegial friendship that resulted in us becoming friends and my becoming friends with his wife, Rio, with whom I shared a great love of Handel, Baroque opera and countertenor singing. Dave's exhaustive knowledge of progressive rock and guitar always informed me and added to my writing. He had a sweet and giving disposition. He was always gentle in his direction, for which I was grateful. Rave on, John Kelman, wherever you are! Glenn Astarita
The jazz community mourns the loss of a stalwart supporter and gifted writer, Dave Binder. Dave's insightful contributions to All About Jazz enriched the lives of countless music lovers, fostering a deeper appreciation for the art form he cherished. Through his words, Dave painted vivid portraits of the music's legends and rising stars. His reviews offered a captivating blend of knowledge and enthusiasm, transporting readers to the heart of the performance.
Dave's passion for jazz extended far beyond the written word. He was undoubtedly a champion for the genre, tirelessly promoting its rich history and captivating sounds.
All About Jazz will feel the absence of Dave's singular voice. But his legacy lives on in the countless articles that continue to inspire and educate. We offer our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
Rest in peace, Dave. You will be deeply missed.
Jerome Wilson
I first began seeing the name "John Kelman" on various jazz-related message boards, liked the sharpness and thoroughness of his writing, and eventually found his articles on the All About Jazz website. In fact, his work first made me aware that All About Jazz existed. I particularly enjoyed his live concert reports and coverage of the ECM label. I also loved his takes on various prog bands such as King Crimson. I was never lucky enough to actually meet him, but once he edited one of my reviews and complimented me on my writing style. After that, I walked around with a big smile on my face for the rest of the day. Mark Sullivan
I started as an editor at AAJ and was fortunate to have John as my mentor. The experience quickly sharpened my editorial skills, and I am sure that it was also helpful when I transitioned back to writing. When John edited my writing, he was consistently kind and helpful. I did get to hang out with him in person twice, at the Festival International De Jazz De Montreal . The first time I arrived a day early to hear King Crimson, and also attended a press conference with John. The second time he returned to the festival to hear Soft Machine. His deep background knowledge was especially helpful when he edited that review. Edward Blanco
I never met "John" but when he was editing my reviews, he taught me many things. I knew I was learning from a pro. Dave Kaufman
John/Dave was also a friend of mine. Aside from being an incredibly prolific writer, he was a great contributor to the jazz+ community and a remarkably thoughtful individual. He endured very difficult times in the last decade of his life, but he always seemed to fight his way back. As you say, he was remarkably resilient. His is a great loss. Dan Bilawsky
I was extremely saddened to hear of John Kelman's passing. John was a passionate and knowledgeable music lover and a wonderful writer who gave so much to the jazz community through his words and his work at All About Jazz. Those contributions—in-depth reviews and articles that demonstrated a deep wisdom—were and are pieces to admire and uphold as beacons of truth. On a personal note, I can honestly say there's no one who was kinder or more helpful to me when I was trying to get my writing together relatively early on. His patience, editorial hand and guidance were invaluable. Prior to coming aboard at AAJ, I was pretty green. John essentially took me under his wing and helped me polish my prose and stretch to try to reach my potential. He always had helpful suggestions, making it clear when it was necessary to go granular or, conversely, when it didn't make sense to get into the weeds. John offered some great challenges—"Why don't you try to write an album review where you don't actually mention any of the songs" is one that readily springs to mind—and they always helped me grow.
No question was off limits with John. Whether I asked for a Nils Petter Molvær album recommendation, how to go about some aspect of writing a press release, or simply wanted advice on a camera lens, he always took the time to share his knowledge and provide encouragement. I owe John a debt of gratitude. We never had the chance to meet in person—our paths only crossed on the interwebs over the years—but I still felt like he was a steady presence, always right (t)here.
My condolences to John's wife, Rio; his friends, who numbered many; and all of the musicians and musical community members he so deeply loved... who loved him back. R.I.P. John.
Geno Thackara
I never met Dave/John, but like many of us, "saw" and chatted with him enough to feel like I knew him. Any article or post was an opening for a comments discussion that (in true music-nerd fashion) could easily drift anywhere. Somehow he was everywhere on countless platforms all across the web, always happy to engage, always equally good-natured whether you'd agree or disagree. He wouldn't bother feeding into negativity or trolling arguments when that time could be spent dissecting some 1975 obscurity in ridiculous detail instead. I remember some comments criticizing his writing style—say what you will about it, we can all agree it's one of a kind—and he'd just take it in stride and talk about how we all try to get better. That generosity and positivity are something all of us can always use more of. Doug Collette
For all the darkness that threatened to engulf him, Dave Binder remained a fountain of unbridled enthusiasm for the music he loved as well as his writing about it. No doubt those dual passions sustained him in ways we can only imagine, but we might well see our departed colleague and friend as a role model for patience, perseverance and devotion to our own abiding pursuits, whatever form they may take in the wake of his passing. Robert Middleton
I met John through the old AAJ Forum. I was impressed by his thoughtful and insightful comments and his enthusiastic take on jazz. But my real relationship with John was in reading his many album reviews. John wasn't just a reviewer he was a jazz journalist. I've never read more in-depth reviews than John's. Most were long, detailed, insightful, educational, and fun to read.
It was clear that John rarely wrote a review of an album he didn't like. He was very picky in his tastes. He not only knew what he liked, but he could tell you exactly why he liked it. It was very common for John to give albums 4 ½ or 5-star reviews. After reading those reviews, I would get the album and listen even more closely to hear what John had heard.
He once told me that he didn't start writing a review until he had listened to the album at least four times (it may have been more!). He not only wrote in-depth about each album but also compared it to other albums by that artist or other artists, and commented about the talents and history of the sidemen. Each review was a mini-seminar on jazz. His knowledge of jazz wasn't just deep; it was vast.
John and his wonderful, passionate writing about jazz will be sorely missed. The only consolation is that his more than 2,800 articles published by All About Jazz can still be found on the site. Look 'em up today!
Long live, John Kelman!
Chuck Koton
I never met John in person, (nor did I know he wrote with a pseudonym), but I've read his insightful & passionate reviews for years and he often helped me edit my essays. I followed his agonizing health journey these last few years and was always struck by his endurance and optimism... his last Facebook post was that he was so happy to be leaving the hospital and returning to his beloved wife, Rio... I was overwhelmed with shock and sadness to read of his sudden passing. R.I.P John/Dave Sammy Stein
Dave Binder, or John Kelman as I knew him, was the first editor to offer me the chance to write freely. I had submitted a piece to London Jazz News and they published it. I had books published with Hamlyn Octopus on botanical subjects, but music was a passion rather than something I was an expert in. However, I got a message, then a call from John Kelman who introduced himself and asked if I would be interested in writing for All About Jazz because he had liked my ideas, read the published article, and asked if I would consider writing for AAJ. Thinking he meant one piece I asked him what he would like me to write about. He said reviews were fine but would I like a column of my own where I could write about things related to jazz that I felt important, or didn't fit in another column? The title would be my choice. We agreed Scumbles would be appropriate because I was also writing with a free jazz saxophonist, who talked about art as well as music, and 'scumbles' was a term he used. I loved the word, especially as it means an eclectic array of art and I felt that fit with some of the ideas. John accepted my next piece, and the column grew—here were articles on how jazz has changed, musical shows, an art exhibition by Ian Dury, and Scumbles became populated by a mix of articles including interviews with Barb Jungr, Davey Payne, Daniel Bennett, a review of a book by Peter Brötzmann and other subjects. AAJ also published reviews and other articles. John published articles that would normally not find a home, using Scumbles as the vehicle. He told me he had faith in my writing, understood what motivated me, and would support that. It was incredibly encouraging.
My point is that Dave Binder/John Kelman took a chance on an unknown writer and allowed me freedom while supporting my stumbling steps into music journalism. He was brave enough to take a chance and saw the potential that at the time I could not. I also realized a few years later that John had me confused with another successful writer in the beginning—something I shall forever be grateful for. If he ever realized it, he said nothing and continued to support my work for AAJ. People like John come around every so often and somehow know how to offer consistent support without pushing and his vision for AAJ struck me as one that not only saw the platform growing but also supporting a huge array of music-related areas. I think he succeeded.
Mike Jacobs
It's hard to overstate the impact Dave Binder (better known in these parts by his nom de plume, John Kelman) has had on AAJ and me personally. It suffices to say that were it not for the encouragement and advice I received from such a prolific and erudite writer as John, I likely would not be a writer today. Through John's kind recommendations to others, I received many writing opportunities and subsequent connections that have enriched my writing resume—for AAJ and beyond. Though we never met in the flesh, I will cherish the memories of the conversational hours we shared on Skype over the years. John/Dave was warm, welcoming and generous with his knowledge and time despite the many health difficulties that beset him in the last few years. Knowing him, it also wouldn't surprise me if the story I tell here is recounted many times over among AAJ's writers. He was a special talent but moreover, a special guy. He will be sorely missed and never forgotten. My heart goes out to his wife, Rio and the rest of his family. Rest in peace, my friend. Joshua Weiner
I never met Dave/John (in fact, it was a surprise to me that his birth name was not John Kelman!), but have enjoyed countless articles he wrote for AAJ. Our tastes (including progressive rock and jazz fusion) overlapped a lot, and I came to rely on his reviews of pricey items like huge archival boxed sets—if John Kelman said it was good, I knew it would be. Knowledgeable and fair, he was an excellent writer and a huge part of AAJ that I know I and others will greatly miss. Godspeed, Dave. Matt Hooke
John Kelman helped shape how I write stories. His edits and guidance on my pieces for All About Jazz were invaluable to me when I was just getting started in music writing. His encouragement helped me get started in journalism as a college student. His own work has an incredible eye for detail that I have tried to emulate in my own writing. He would listen to every album 8-10 times to understand the artist and go beyond surface-level details. His reviews of box sets that stretch for thousands and thousands of words are a masterclass in long-form writing. John was also an incredibly prolific writer. He will be missed. I wish I had a chance to meet him in person and tell him how important he was to me and countless other writers that he inspired. Before he passed, he was working on a book on King Crimson, combining his countless All About Jazz stories and other reporting. I look forward to reading it once it's released.
Esther Berlanga-Ryan
John was always kind to me. The best editor perhaps that I ever worked with—with the notable exception of my Editor in Chief in Diario Jaén in Spain, Juana González. John always allowed me to express what I wanted to express in the way I needed to express it—some editors are intrusive, even arrogant—he never was. John was kind and funny, and he loved dogs. The news of his loss has hit me hard and I have tried to honor his memory. Above all, he was a good man who knew and loved jazz, and he graciously shared the best of his heart with all of us every time he penned a piece. I will always be grateful to have known and worked with him. My deepest condolences go to his wife, family, and friends. May his memory be a blessing. Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius
I came to AAJ in 2001 already an outlier, an anomaly. I'm a humorist (an humorist? Anh umorist?), which is like stepping into the batter's box with an 0-2 count to begin with. And even worse, I had the unmitigated temerity to make fun of Jazz (obviously before the passage of the law in 2007 requiring all temerity to be mitigated). But I digress.
I expected pushback. I expected a thousand furrowed brows, castigating me for daring to dust the precious American institution of Jazz with a thick coat of silliness and irreverence. I did not expect those faces along AAJ's Mount Rushmore (including Michael Ricci, C. Michael Bailey, Carl Hager, and John Kelman), to laugh along with me.
John Kelman (a.k.a. Dave Binder, a.k.a. Pope Urban IX) particularly understood my underlying belief that to take anything too seriously is as much a crime against it as dismissing it entirely. As an editor, he deciphered my peculiar style and did not attempt to impose order on my jailbreak wordplay. In the simplest terms, he got me.
If my character voice—the Genius—is difficult, my regular self is even worse. I'm an introvert, a recluse; for most of the past 14 years, my sole form of communication with the outside world has been Facebook. John and I (and his wife/muse/crew chief Rio) have been friends for most of that time. We have followed each other's struggles with our vocations and avocations, our health issues, our enthusiasms and frustrations. I saw in him a kindred soul, a fighter, an obstinate cuss who'd never let his own human frailties win.
Though his body finally failed him, Dave did not lose. He has transitioned to the next world and rests in eternal comfort; he is survived in this frail mortal frame by his immense and immutable body of work, by the love and friendship he fostered, by the gift of self he gave without measure.
I will remember Dave with a jaunt through the ECM catalog and, in a manner befitting a Canadian, a pint of Molson. You may each remember him in your own preferred fashion, perhaps with some King Crimson about whom he elucidated with such brilliance that the band itself would have been inspired to write a 20-minute song about it which Dave would have then been compelled to write about even more brightly thus creating an infinite cycle of review/recording that would eventually culminate in a singularity whereby Robert Fripp would explode in an infinite cloud of verbs.
Rest well, Dave, and know that you left the music better than you found it.
Michael Bloom
17 years ago Dave gave me some spot-on, priceless advice about a "life situation" I was going through, for which I'll always be grateful. R.I.P. Scott Bluebond
I assist Glass Onyon PR and was promoting Jeff Berlin's album dedicated to Jack Bruce. I contacted John Kelman to see if he would speak to Jeff and he said he was too tied up but recommended I try Mike Jacobs. Mike ended up writing an outstanding piece for AAJ about Jeff. I have stayed in touch with Mike but also John over the years. We exchanged many notes on his health but also about my love for Yes, Prog, and especially Pat Metheny with a little bit of Crim in there for good measure. John shared many articles he wrote about Pat. Somehow I told him I saw Pat with Michael Brecker and we spoke about the effort that was made to find a match for Michael's blood type when he was diagnosed with stage 0 blood cancer. I was working in the cancer field and mentioned a local drive to find that match. Of course John said not only was he aware but that he submitted his blood sample to see if he could help Michael. John was always the nicest guy and I enjoyed my exchanges with him very much. I'll miss him terribly and it's a shock that he won't be around anymore. My condolences to his wife Rio and all who knew and loved him. James Hale
Ottawa is Canada's capital, but anything but a big city. That being the case, imagine my surprise when I discovered that John Kelman, whose work I'd been reading and enjoying, lived in Ottawa. How did I not know this guy? Turns out I had known him since about 1971, the year I saw him playing Allman Brothers Band covers with a young band that played at my high school.
"John" and I finally got together and spent hours exchanging stories about our favourite musicians and various shows we'd seen. At one point, I told him how impressed I was by this guitarist—Dave Binder—who I'd first heard in high school and now was on an album by local singer/songwriter Lynn Miles. We ended the night and head off in separate directions. When I got home, there was an email waiting for me from him. He told me that he had to fess up that he was actually Dave Binder. We laughed about that everytime we saw each other again.
He shared a lot of information with me about his medical issues and the reason for the Dave / John thing, and I was constantly amazed by how much he could write about the music that moved him, and how fast he could crank it out.
Despite my ongoing encouragement, he resisted approaching other media. He was all in for AAJ.
We lost touch over the past few years—COVID and all that—but he was never far from my thoughts. I knew he was in failing health, but his death still came as a shock.
RIP, brother, and thanks for sharing the music with me over many years.
Bill Milkowski
I met John Kelman at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2015, the year that I received the Bruce Lundvall Award. John was in the audience at the ceremony where festival founder Andre Menard presented me with the Bruce Lundvall Award and his praise meant a lot to me. We hung out in the press room that week and stayed in touch via email since, following each other's work. My last correspondence with him came in October of 2021, just after my Michael Brecker book had come out. As always, he was full of praise and mentioned that he was beginning one himself, based on stories he had written about King Crimson that appeared on AAJ. I know it will be great. Marc Copland
The first time I played Ottawa under my own name was the first time I met John Kelman—who'd already written about my work—in person. Journalists often make it a point not to be chummy, which I completely understand—they want to keep enough distance to be able judge an artist's work dispassionately. Not John. He came to the Ottawa gig, stayed both sets, and invited me to hang out afterwards. I still have a vivid image of this tall guy, with an effervescent smile, clearly in love with the music and excited to discuss anything musically related. His was a passion infused with a delight, and over the years it was hard not to be infected with this delight every time we met.
We were scheduled to have one of our periodic phone conversations this month. I miss it already.
Bill Bruford
Beginning around 2004, his association with the ever-evolving All About Jazz proved to be the perfect medium for John's long-form studies of his chosen music. His ability to link the recorded works of one artist with another, passing through a connective maze of casual dalliances, firm (or infirm) employment and sessioneering, in a fertile and predominantly European scene, was legendary. I was very much in touch with him in the last months of his life as I, for a change, interviewed him on his work process. The results were to serve as an introduction to his forthcoming book, almost complete when he passed away. Ever stoic and uncomplaining about his health issues, he remained forensic in his music analysis, sharp as ever to the end. I'll miss him very much, as will many others on this European side of the pond. Jan Bang
It must have been in 2004 or 2005 the first time I met Dave Binder (aka John Kelman). I was touring Northern America with Nils Petter Molvaer and Dave came backstage after a concert in his hometown of Ottawa. Erik Honoré and I was starting a new festival we had called Punkt. I immediately invited Dave to come to Norway covering the festival for All About Jazz. Dave came and returned to Punkt the following years. The extensive coverage came with minute detail and proved a man with acute ears and with the ability to communicate to an international audience what he had witnessed in Norway: three hectic days with hardly any sleep, filled with concerts and this new form of concerts—Live Remixes was what we called them—taking samples of the previous concert and reconstructing this sound material through improvisations with electronics alongside more acoustic or electric based performers. Dave immediately understood the concept and was Punkt´s ambassador to an international jazz audience and beyond. His writing also included liner notes to a vast number of releases including Arve Henriksen's 2012 box-set Solidification. Dave came to London covering a three-day Punkt festival at Kings Place as part of the London Jazz Festival. Some of the Jon Hassell album Last Night the Moon Came came from those sessions. Now both Jon, Peter, Dino and Dave are gone. The last time I saw him was during a Punkt night at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2016. By that time, he had cut down on his writing due to health issues. Dave was a generous man with appreciation of Norwegian music. I am forever grateful for getting to know some of the man. My thoughts go to Dave´s family.
Declan Colgan, Panegyric Recordings
John was the best sort of writer about music, a writer who made the reader want to hear the music he was writing about immediately. His love for, and unending fascination with, the power of music was evident in all of his writing. This was even more pronounced in our—sadly, too infrequent—phone conversations, after which I'd wind up playing albums we'd discussed that we both liked/loved, invariably hearing them afresh and usually heard while looking up a list of other albums/artists to investigate that he had recommended. That combination of enthusiasm and a deep knowledge of music and musicians served all of his readers well and will, in his extensive writings, continue to inform and entertain many more.Michael Ricci
All About Jazz not only lost one of its stars but we lost a global ambassador and I lost a friend. Dave Binder (aka John Kelman) was a brilliant writer, a keen observer, a champion of both musicians and the people who wrote about them. He was prolific as a writer and an editor at All About Jazz. His insight drove discovery and proved invaluable to both our readers and our staff. His tireless dedication to his craft was peerless—at one point, he was averaging an album review a day and they weren't of the 250-word minimum variety. Dave went deep, always. His music knowledge was staggering and his passion and depth were apparent in every review. He was a walking encyclopedia when it came to all things ECM Records, progressive rock and fusion.
Dave was also particularly adept at conflict resolution which came in handy with the sometimes cantankerous members of the All About Jazz forum that he helped moderate for ten years.
I had the good fortune to hang with him on more than a few occasions over our 20 year friendship: at the Montreal Jazz Festival (see photo above), the Ottawa Jazz Festival (where he lived), the Kongsberg Jazz Festival in Norway—he even drove his Prius down from Ottawa to AAJ HQ and stayed with Rosemary and me. We all had a great time.
One of my fondest memories was when we teamed to cover the Montreal Audio Festival in 2019. We definitely ventured outside our comfort zones, made stuff up on the fly and had a blast in the process. Though Dave had never done anything like that before (or since), he was all in and did a fantastic job.
Rio, Dave's wife, said I gave him his big break in jazz journalism and the festivals I greenlit were some of the highlights of his life. With much respect, Dave made his own breaks, but knowing his jazz travels were some of his life's highlights, well, that is something I'll hold dear.
Thanks for everything, Dave.
Deena McNichol
Dave Binder a.k.a. John Kelman was my cousin. My father was Harry Kelman and he was Dave's uncle. Harry Kelman was a Canadian artist and Dave proudly displayed his art in his home. It wasn't known that Harry was also an unpublished poet in his younger days. Dave used to tell me how much my father's creativity was an inspiration to him. It was no surprise to me that he chose his surname. Dave and I were more than cousins. We were best friends. At a very young age, we had so much in common and shared a bond that continued into our adulthood. My love of jazz began with the discovery of Thelonious Monk and Dave's passion for jazz opened my ears to so much more.
I have my friendship with the love of his life Rio which I will cherish and my recent memories to keep him alive in my heart, but what I would give to see the smile in his eyes and hear him laugh again.
I love you cuz... I always will.
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