Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

KELLAWAY, Roger

(b 1 Nov. '39, Waban MA) Pianist, composer, arranger, conductor, producer; very highly regarded by other musicians. Studied piano from age seven; played bass, a little percussion, began composing in high school; studied at New England Conservatory, played bass with Jimmy McPartland, Ralph Marterie; piano with Kai Winding '62, singer Mark Murphy '63; with Al Cohn/Zoot Sims, Bobby Brookmeyer/Clark Terry; formed own trio. Worked in Don Ellis band '66, mus. dir. for Bobby Darin '67--9, toured '74 with Joni Mitchell and Tom Scott's LA Express (reedman Scott b 19 May '48, LA; played with Ellis, Oliver Nelson; LPs on CBS, Atlantic, Ode, Elektra, MCA). Studio work incl. arr. for Supersax, Carmen McRae (on Blue Note '75), LPs for Melanie, Maria Muldaur; recorded with Nelson, Sonny Rollins, Gerry Mulligan, Baja Marimba Band, George Harrison, etc; also TV, film music; classical compositions recorded since '73 incl. Esque for trombone and bass, more recently Windows '94 on Angel. Albums as arr./cond. incl. Center Of The Circle, Cello Quartet, Come To The Meadow on A&M, all out of print; jazz work incl. trio A Jazz Portrait '63 on Regina, Trio '65 on Prestige, Spirit Feel '67 on Pacific Jazz. The Nostalgia Suite '78 is now on Voss with cello and rhythm section. Solo LP called Stride c'66, then Ain't Misbehavin' '86 on Choice/Bainbridge; he sang and played on Say That Again c'70 on Dobre; made duo album Leaves On The Water '85 on Choice with lyricist/vocalist Gene Lees, mostly songs they co-wrote; Fifty- Fifty '87 on Stash and Life's A Take '93 on Concord are duos with bassist Red Mitchell; That Was That and Some O' This And Some O' That on Dragon are trios with Mitchell. Most recent albums: Meets The Duo '92 on Chiaroscuro (see Gene Bertoncini), quartet In Japan on All Art with Valery Ponomarev, solo Live At Maybeck and the superb duo Inside And Out '95 with Ruby Braff on Concord. Solo Soaring '95 from Chintamani Music is labelled 'Ambient Classical Jazz', original music full of beauty and exquisitely played on a 7]fm[ Bl]auu[thner piano. Solo The Art Of Interconnectedness on Challenge was made live at the Vineyard Theatre.