Jazz singer Kelley Gant captivates audiences with her award-winning whistling

Singers are often referred to as songbirds. But for jazz vocalist Kelley Gant, the comparison is a bit more literal. Aside from her ethereal vocals, Gant is captivating Kansas City audiences with her internationally recognized whistling. 

Often heard performing with jazz combos across the metro, Gant brought her niche skill to a wider audience last year when she traveled to Los Angeles to compete in the Masters of Musical Whistling International Festival and Competition. There, she repped KC with a rendition of bebop legend Charlie Parker’s “Yardbird Suite,” along with selections like “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Kacey Musgraves’ “Late to the Party.” She placed third in the Allied Arts Division and Advanced Pop Whistling categories.

Later this month, on July 15, she’ll bring her improvisational prowess to Charlotte Street Foundation. A part of a series led by the experimental collective Extemporaneous Music & Arts Society, Gant will deviate from jazz standards, instead producing original music in real time by layering vocal and whistling tracks with a looping station to create dense, transcendent harmonies.

She traces her knack for whistling back to her grandpa, who, she says, seemed to carry a tune through many of life’s mundane moments. “He seemed to put no effort or thought to it all—whistling around the house or in his pickup truck going to get donuts in the morning,” Gant says. “He was very musical.” 

While growing up in Maize, Kansas, Gant found herself following suit. “I would spend a lot of my free, alone time as a kid whistling, like while climbing a tree,” she says. Over the years, she’s honed the unique talent, discovering how small adjustments can make a big difference in her sound. One trick, she says, is slightly jutting her jaw forward.

Although Gant enjoyed whistling, it remained separate from her singing. After spending several years singing in choirs, she went on to study at Kansas State University, where she performed with small combos and with jazz bands. It wasn’t until she moved to KC that the two pursuits converged. 

When working with the late organist Everette DeVan, a longtime fixture of KC’s jazz scene and mentor to many musicians, Gant mentioned that she whistled, but had never done it on a gig. DeVan encouraged her to give it a try. “Originally, I would only whistle to songs that mentioned birds, like Bye, Bye Blackbird,” she says. “People started requesting it.” 

Aside from her upcoming performance at Charlotte Street Foundation, audiences can regularly find Gant performing jazz standards at Overland Park’s Houlihan’s and McGregor’s Butcher and Bistro (visit kelleygant.com for a full schedule).

GO: Extemporaneous Music & Arts Society presents Kelley Gant. July 15. 7:30 pm. Charlotte Street Foundation. 

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