Press Kit

Rick Kelly — Blue Mangata

Artist on Indigo Jazz · Chicago, IL · Jazz / Fusion / Blues

Chicago-area guitarist and composer Rick Kelly releases Blue Mangata — a five-track debut EP on the boutique label Indigo Jazz. The record spans cinematic jazz fusion, blues-inflected improvisation, and atmospheric instrumental composition rooted in the Chicago tradition.

The release lands as Chicago prepares to host UNESCO International Jazz Day 2026 on April 30 — placing Kelly's music squarely in the national conversation about Chicago's living jazz culture.

This is not a debut artist. Shortly after the release of his previous record Cutting Edge, Rick O'Dell — host of WNUA's popular Sunday Brunch — contacted Kelly to feature his music on the show. While listening to WNUA, veteran Chicago broadcaster Ed Curran, then hosting on the widely popular WGN, heard Kelly's music and invited him for a live in-studio interview and performance. The album also received recognition and airplay on WLCB LPFM 101.5 with Ted Runnels of Lakes Radio (streaming worldwide). Now, Kelly's debut Indigo Jazz single "Blue Mangata" has been selected for rotation on 56 smooth jazz stations nationwide through the Smooth Jazz Florida Network — including terrestrial broadcast on WDJZ FM 100.7 and Smooth Jazz Chicago.

Radio — 2026

Blue Mangata — 56-station smooth jazz network, incl. WDJZ FM 100.7 (terrestrial) & Smooth Jazz Chicago

UNESCO 2026

Chicago host city — International Jazz Day, April 30

WLCB 101.5

Lakes Radio — Ted Runnels (Worldwide Stream) — Cutting Edge

WNUA (Prior)

Rick O'Dell featured Cutting Edge on WNUA's Sunday Brunch

WGN (Prior)

Live interview & performance — Ed Curran, WGN Chicago — Cutting Edge

Rick Kelly · View all press photos

For Immediate Release

Press Release

For Immediate Release · Contact: info@indigo-jazz.com

Chicago Guitarist Rick Kelly Drops Early Release of Blue Mangata — Title Track Available Now, Full EP Coming June 2026 on Indigo Jazz

Five-track jazz/fusion/blues debut EP — title track out now on YouTube, SoundCloud & Bandcamp; full release arrives as Chicago hosts UNESCO International Jazz Day 2026

CHICAGO, IL — Chicago-area guitarist and composer Rick Kelly releases the title track Blue Mangata as an early tease of the debut EP on Indigo Jazz — a boutique jazz, fusion, and blues label co-founded by Kelly and creative partner Bill Janness. The full five-track record arrives at the end of June 2026 and will span cinematic jazz fusion, blues-inflected improvisation, and atmospheric instrumental composition.

The title track Blue Mangata — named for the Norwegian word describing the road-like reflection of moonlight on still water — sets the tone: unhurried, evocative, and deeply melodic. The full EP follows with Luna de Mira Flores, Chromatic Moonlight, Meteor Shower, and Ashes to Stardust.

The release arrives as Chicago prepares to host UNESCO International Jazz Day 2026 on April 30 — an international celebration that will bring jazz journalists, critics, and fans worldwide to the city. Blue Mangata is a Chicago-made contribution to that moment.

Kelly is no newcomer to broadcast attention. Shortly after the release of his previous record Cutting Edge, Rick O'Dell — host of WNUA's popular Sunday Brunch — contacted Kelly to feature his music on the show. While listening to WNUA, veteran Chicago broadcaster Ed Curran, then hosting on the widely popular WGN, heard Kelly's music and invited him for a live in-studio interview and performance. The album also received airplay on WLCB LPFM 101.5 with on-air personality Ted Runnels of Lakes Radio, which streams worldwide at lakesradio.org. Now, the debut Indigo Jazz single "Blue Mangata" has been selected for rotation on 56 smooth jazz stations nationwide through the Smooth Jazz Florida Network — including terrestrial broadcast on WDJZ FM 100.7 and Smooth Jazz Chicago.

"When we recorded Cutting Edge, making a record was incredibly expensive — the only way to get music out there was pressing CDs and hustling them to local record stores. Back then I dreamed about having my own studio and independent label. Today that dream is a reality, and being able to release music directly to listeners around the world is something I could never have imagined back then."
— Rick Kelly

The title track Blue Mangata is available now as an early release on YouTube, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp. The full 5-track EP arrives at the end of June 2026 and will be available on all major platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Artist

Rick Kelly — Biography

"Indigo Jazz was created so I could have an independent home for the kind of music I've always wanted to make without having to chase a record deal. Having my own label and studio allows me to compose, record, produce, and release music entirely on my own terms."
— Rick Kelly

Rick Kelly is a Chicago-area guitarist, composer, and recording artist whose music sits at the intersection of jazz, fusion, and blues. His debut EP Blue Mangata — released on the boutique label Indigo Jazz — marks the next chapter of a career already earning real broadcast attention.

Cutting Edge was featured on WNUA's Sunday Brunch by Rick O'Dell, led to a live in-studio interview and performance with veteran WGN broadcaster Ed Curran, and received airplay on WLCB LPFM 101.5 (Lakes Radio). His debut Indigo Jazz single "Blue Mangata" is now airing on 56 smooth jazz stations nationwide, including terrestrial FM on WDJZ 100.7 and Smooth Jazz Chicago. Kelly co-founded Indigo Jazz with creative partner Bill Janness under the Mad Monkey Creative LLC umbrella.

Rick Kelly is a Chicago-area guitarist and composer with a sound that doesn't sit still. Drawing from jazz, blues, and fusion, Kelly builds instrumental music with the patience of a storyteller and the instincts of an improviser — atmospheric, melodic, and alive.

His debut EP Blue Mangata, released on Indigo Jazz, channels years of craft into five focused tracks: the moonlit title piece, the simmering Luna de Mira Flores, the wide-open Chromatic Moonlight, the kinetic Meteor Shower, and the elegiac closer Ashes to Stardust. Together they form a cohesive document of where Kelly stands as a player and composer in 2026.

The road to Blue Mangata includes genuine industry recognition. Shortly after the release of Cutting Edge, Rick O'Dell — host of WNUA's popular Sunday Brunch — contacted Kelly to feature the album on his show. While listening to WNUA, veteran Chicago broadcaster Ed Curran, then hosting on the widely popular WGN, heard Kelly's music and reached out to invite him for a live in-studio interview and performance — a signal moment for an independent artist. The album also earned recognition and airplay on WLCB LPFM 101.5 with on-air personality Ted Runnels of Lakes Radio, which streams worldwide at lakesradio.org. His debut Indigo Jazz single "Blue Mangata" is now airing on 56 smooth jazz stations nationwide through the Smooth Jazz Florida Network, including terrestrial broadcast on WDJZ FM 100.7 and Smooth Jazz Chicago.

Alongside his recording work, Kelly runs Rick Kelly Studio — a YouTube channel and digital education platform focused on guitar theory and DAW production. He co-founded Indigo Jazz with creative partner Bill Janness as a home for original music released without compromise.

Kelly is based in the northern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.

New Release

Blue Mangata — EP

Artist: Rick Kelly
Label: Indigo Jazz
Genre: Jazz / Fusion / Blues
Format: 5-Track EP
Distribution: DistroKid
Title Track — Out Now: YouTube · SoundCloud · Bandcamp
Full EP — June 2026: + Spotify · Apple Music · Amazon Music

"Blue Mangata is the first album to come entirely out of my own studio — from composing and arranging to playing, recording, mixing, and mastering. Having that level of control over the entire creative process is something I've dreamed about for a very long time."
— Rick Kelly