Roger Kellaway
American pianist

Roger Kellaway

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American pianist
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Male
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Birth:
1 November 1939(Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA; Waban, Massachusetts, USA)
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Introduction

Roger Kellaway
Roger Kellaway in 2011

Roger Kellaway (born November 1, 1939) is an American composer, arranger and jazz pianist who has recorded over 250 albums, and composed over 20 film scores

Life and career

Kellaway was born in Waban, Massachusetts, United States. He is an alumnus of the New England Conservatory. Kellaway has composed commissioned works for ensembles of various sizes. He also has composed music for film, television, ballet and stage productions. Pianist Phil Saltman was one of his early mentors.

In 1964, Kellaway was a piano sideman for composer/arranger Boris Midney's group The Russian Jazz Quartet's album Happiness on ABC/Impulse jazz records.

Kellaway composed the closing theme, "Remembering You" for the television sitcom All in the Family, which was also used as the closing theme for the spinoff Archie Bunker's Place.

In 1970, Kellaway formed the Roger Kellaway Cello Quartet with cellist Edgar Lustgarden. Their piece "Come to the Meadow" was used as the theme for the NPR program Selected Shorts. For their 1978 album, Nostalgia Suite, the group became a quintet with drummer Joe Porcaro.

On November 7 and 8, 2008, Kellaway was bandleader and pianist for the Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl concerts by Van Morrison, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Morrison's acclaimed 1968 album.

Kellaway was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adaptation Score for A Star Is Born (1976), and a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for the Eddie Daniels album Memos from Paradise (1988). Guitarist Robben Ford credits Kellaway and Tom Scott, whom he met while playing for Joni Mitchell, as major influences on his music. Kellaway was featured on Ilya Serov's original rendition of Django Reinhardt's song "Swing 42" in 2017.

Discography

As leader

Year recorded Title Label Notes
1963 A Portrait of Roger Kellaway Regina Some tracks trio, with Ben Tucker (bass), Dave Bailey (drums); some tracks quartet, with Jim Hall (guitar), Steve Swallow (bass), Tony Inzalaco (drums)
1965 The Roger Kellaway Trio Prestige Trio, with Russell George (bass), Dave Bailey (drums)
1966 Stride! World Pacific With Red Mitchell (bass), John Guerin (drums), strings, brass
1967 Spirit Feel Liberty Records With Tom Scott (alto and soprano sax), Chuck Domanico (bass), John Guerin (drums), Paul Beaver (tape recorder), Red Mitchell (bass on Double Fault)
Solo Piano Dobre
1970 Say That Again Dobre Solo piano; Kellaway adds vocals on two tracks. All tracks on Dobre DR 1045 LP release (p) 1978 Expression Sound, Inc.
1971 Cello Quartet A&M with strings; Joe Pass (guitar) added on two tracks
1972 Center of the Circle A&M With various
1974 Come to the Meadow A&M With Edgar Lustgarten (cello), Chuck Domanico (bass), Emil Richards (drums)
1978 Nostalgia Suite Discwasher With various
1981 Live at Michael's Pub Jazz Mania Duo, with Dick Hyman (piano); in concert
1982 As It Happened, Vol. 1 Jazz Heritage Quartet, with Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone), Chuck Domanico (bass), John Guerin (drums); in concert
1986 Ain't Misbehavin' Solo piano
1986 In Japan All Art Jazz Some tracks solo piano; some tracks trio, with John Goldsby (bass), Terry Clarke (drums); some tracks quartet, with Valery Ponomarev (trumpet) added
1987 Fifty-Fifty Stash Records With Red Mitchell (bass), Brad Terry (whistling)
1987 The Art of Interconnectedness Challenge In concert
1988 Alone Together Dragon Duo, with Red Mitchell (bass)
1989 Some o' This and Some o' That Dragon With Putte Wickman (clarinet), Red Mitchell (bass)
1991 Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume Eleven Concord Jazz Solo piano; in concert
1991 That Was That Dragon With Jan Allan (trumpet), Red Mitchell (bass)
1992 Roger Kellaway Meets The Duo: Gene Bertoncini and Michael Moore Chiaroscuro Trio, with Gene Bertoncini (guitar), Michael Moore (bass)
1992 Life's a Take Concord Jazz Duo, with Red Mitchell (bass); in concert
1993 Windows Angel With Emil Richards (marimba), Chuck Domanico (bass), Joe Porcaro and Bob Zimmitti (percussion), Fred Seykora (cello)
1996 Inside & Out Concord Duo, co-led with Ruby Braff (cornet)
2005 I Was There: Roger Kellaway Plays from the Bobby Darin Songbook IPO Solo piano
2005 Remembering Bobby Darin IPO Trio, with Bruce Forman (guitar), Dan Lutz (bass)
2006 Heroes IPO Trio, with Bruce Forman (guitar) Brad Lutz (bass)
2008 Live at the Jazz Standard IPO With Russell Malone (guitar), Jay Leonhart (bass), Stefon Harris (vibraphone), Borislav Strulev (cello); in concert
2013 Duke at the Roadhouse: Live in Santa Fe IPO Most tracks duo, co-led with Eddie Daniels (clarinet); some tracks trio, with James Holland (cello) added; in concert
2018 New Jazz Standards Vol. 3 Summit Trio, with Jay Leonhart (bass), Peter Erskine (drums)

2019 The Many Open Minds of Roger Kellaway Trio, with Bruce Forman (guitar), Dan Lutz (bass).

As arranger

With Melanie

  • Born to Be (Buddah, 1968)
  • Gather Me (Neighborhood/Buddah, 1971)
  • Stoneground Words (Neighborhood, 1972)
  • Madrugada (Neighborhood, 1973)

With Carmen McRae

  • I Am Music (Blue Note, 1975)

With Diane Schuur

  • Love Songs (UMG, 1993)

With Liza Minnelli

  • Gently (Angel, 1996)

With Robben Ford

  • Supernatural (GRP, 1999)

With Gary Lemel

  • Moonlighting (Warner, 1999)

As sideman

With Kenny Burrell

  • Guitar Forms (Verve, 1964–65)

With The Russian Jazz Quartet

  • Happiness (Impulse!, 1964)

With Stan Getz

  • Stan Getz Plays Music from the Soundtrack of Mickey One (MGM, 1965)

With J. J. Johnson and Kai Winding

  • Betwixt & Between (A&M/CTI, 1969)

With George Harrison

  • Dark Horse (Apple, 1974)

With Jimmy Knepper

  • Jimmy Knepper in L.A. (Discomate, 1977)

With Herbie Mann

  • Herbie Mann Plays The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd (Atlantic, 1965)

With Mark Murphy

  • That's How I Love the Blues! (Riverside, 1962)

With Oliver Nelson

  • More Blues and the Abstract Truth (Impulse!, 1964)
  • Soulful Brass with Steve Allen (Impulse!, 1968)
  • Black, Brown and Beautiful (Flying Dutchman, 1969)

With Sonny Rollins

  • Alfie (Impulse!, 1966)

With Lalo Schifrin

  • There's a Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin' On (Dot, 1968)

With Bud Shank

  • Let It Be (Pacific Jazz, 1970)

With Zoot Sims

With Sonny Stitt

  • Broadway Soul (Colpix, 1965)

With Clark Terry

  • The Happy Horns of Clark Terry (Impulse!, 1964)
  • Tonight (Mainstream, 1965)
  • The Power of Positive Swinging (Mainstream, 1965)

With Ben Webster

  • See You at the Fair(Impulse!, 1964)

With Kai Winding

  • Rainy Day (Verve, 1965)

With Jimmy Witherspoon

  • Blues for Easy Livers (Prestige, 1965)

With Stephane Grappelli & Yo-Yo Ma

  • Anything Goes (CBS, 1989)