Roger Kellaway - 'Cello Quartet'

[wesbed]

Has anyone here heard this?

>AMG Link<

I was browsing through my local Border's, this afternoon, and found Kellaway's 'Cello Quartet.' I didn't know what it was nor had I ever heard of Roger Kellaway. I thought, what the freaking hell, it's a Verve, it's remastered, and it's only $9.99. How bad could it be?

I popped the disk into my car's CD player on the way home. My first thought was that the music sounded more classical than jazz. I had thoughts of 'easy listening' and 'pre new age.' I said, to myself, "It's nice enough but a little too nice for me. How bad could be? Or, rather, how good could it be? Errr... not too good, really. But, for $9.99 it's a keeper."

Upon repeated listening via my home stereo, I've fallen under the spell of the 'Cello Quartet.' My head is buried so deep in the sand of jazz that I don't listen to much else. The Kellaway title is my first non-jazz purchase in years (besides Steely Dan). However, I'm not sure the 'Cello Quartet' is truly non-jazz. It's kind of jazz and kind of not. It's classical but it's not. It's new age and easy-listening, yet, it's not. It's a very eclectic set of music. I can't explain it nor can I quit listening to it.

I'm certain the 'Cello Quartet' is not as much of a surprising or odd release to others on this board as it has been to me. This is my first experience with Roger Kellaway and my first experience with classical jazz (or what ever it's called). This is no Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, or Wes Montgomery... but Kellaway's music has been very satisfying to my ears this evening.

[jazzbo]

I've had this for some time, and I really can't remember what impression it made on me. . . I'll have to dig it out and relisten if I can find it! Thanks for the reminder!

[brownie]

Since I'm a fan of Roger Kellaway, I bought this when it came out a couple of months ago. Played it once and was disappointed about the meager jazz content.

May have to dig it out from the pile I stored it to relisten...

[JSngry]

Haven't heard this one, but have long been curious.

Kellaway's an interesting musician. One foot in "advanced straight ahead" jazz, another in 20th century classical, and another in stride (that's his original tune "Remembering You"(?) that you hear at the end of every episode of All In The Family - don't know if it's him playing though).

He had a late 60s live album on Pacific Jazz called SPIRIT FEEL that covered a wide range of styles (including musique concrete, courtesy of either Paul Beaver or Bernie Krause, can't remember). I had it in high school, sold it in college, got curious and bought a copy at Dusty Groove (the BASTARDS!) a few days ago. What turned me off to it was the contributions of the then teenaged Tom Scott (playing straight ahead jazz just about like you'd expect a teenaged Tom Scott to play it...), but I remember Kellaway's playing being pretty different, not at all cliched, and not a little provocative. I'll know if that's the case or not when the sucker gets here...

I got a duo set he did w/Red Mitchell on Concord that's not particularly gripping emotionally, but nevertheless still stimulates the imagination, which I think is a good way to describe how Kellaway in general hits me. Like I said - interesting.

What does any of this have to do with CELLO QUARTET? Not much, I'm afraid.

[bertrand]

I know very little of Kellaway, but I LOVE his playing on Alfie. Of course, I love everyone's playing on that record. And the arrangements. And the compositions...

Bertrand.

Edited June 15, 2004 by bertrand

[Alec]

I have to agree with wesbed. I picked up this cd simply because it is part of the Verve LPR series and I haven't regretted it at all. Like others, I'm not sure how I'd catagorize it, other than enjoyable music.

[JSngry]

I know very little of Kellaway, but I LOVE his playing on Alfie. Of course, I love everyone's playing on that record. And the arrangements. And the compositions...

Bertrand.

Oh HELL YEAH!!!!

Kellaway can also be heard to very good advantage on the Terry/Brookmeyer Mainstream dates (if you can find them...), Mulligan's AGE OF STEAM (ditto), several Oliver Nelson dates, Ben Webster's SEE YOU AT THE FAIR, and some other dates I can't remember, as well as some that I haven't heard, but are probably at least ok.

[jazzbo]

Kellaway is a great player, I have the lp that Jim mentions, and many others. . .he's unsung and needs to be sung! This morning I was listening to him play very very well on Dick Sudhalter's Challenge cd "Melodies Heard". . . .

[brownie]

A fairly recent and wonderful Kellaway album is volume 11 of the Live At Maybeck Recital Hall series from Concord. Superb and very persuasive solo record.

[danasgoodstuff]

I first heard this at my late uncle's place near Corvalis, OR years ago when it was fairly new. I think it was my ex-wife who dubbed it "rain music"; I'm not much for mood/programatic music generally, but this works for me, in part no doubt because of the personal associations. Don't have anything else much like it, don't play all the time, but I do like it.

[Eloe Omoe]

I got a duo set he did w/Red Mitchell on Concord that's not particularly gripping emotionally, but nevertheless still stimulates the imagination, which I think is a good way to describe how Kellaway in general hits me.

There was another duo record with Red Mitchell ("Fifty-Fifty", Natasha NI 4014), that I've always found more interesting than the Concord one (it's a studio recording from 1987). Don't know if it's still available somewhere but I'd look for it. "I'll Never Be the Same", from that CD, is a real winner.

Luca

[Joe]

Have the CELLO QUARTET on vinyl; have yet to quite warm to it.

If you can find them, dig Kellaway's duets with Ruby Braff on Concord, INSIDE & OUT.

Pretty magnificent stuff.

[mikeweil]

The original release was on A & M!

Musically, not in the vein of Verve, not even the Creed Taylor produced stuff with strings. Kellaway is a great pianist, he plays nice here, but much of the focus is on the cellist, who play with a wide classical gesture, some pieces feature a string section. I would place this in the light classical bin.

If you are interested in the fantastic very individual jazz stylistics of pianist Kellaway, I'd say go for any of the other recommended CDs mentioned above.

[Clunky]

Center of the Circle also on A&M is a weird jazz/rock/blues brothers amalgam which works pretty well even it really on skirts jazz as an influence. I have this on LP.

Kellaways playing on a Brookmeyer/Terry Mainstream album is also good.

[robviti]

a while back i picked up his debut at overstock.com for just a few bucks. it's quite nice.