Dave Gelly, consultant editor, was born at the height of the Swing era. He studied English and Anthropology at Cambridge University, where he played saxophone in the award-winning University band, the line-up for which included Art Themen and Lionel Grigson. From the mid-1960s he co-led his own quartets and quintets with Frank Ricotti, Jeff Scott, and Barbara Thompson. He was also a member of the New Jazz Orchestra, directed by Neil Ardley. He has written extensively on jazz, and has been voted Jazz Writer of the Year. He joined the Observer in 1974 and has written regularly for them ever since.