Roger Kellaway

Roger Kellaway

Person from United States

Genres: jazz, piano, USA, american, United States

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About Roger Kellaway

Roger Kellaway (born November 1, 1939) is an American composer, arranger, and pianist. Born in Waban, Massachusetts, he is an alumnus of the New England Conservatory. Kellaway has composed commissioned works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, and jazz big band, as well as for film, TV, ballet and stage productions. As a composer/arranger, he has received two prestigious honors — a 1976 Oscar nomination for Best Adaptation Score for the film A Star Is Born, and the 1989 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for the album Memos from Paradise. As a pianist, Kellaway has performed and recorded with a wide range of prominent musicians, such as Lena Horne, Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, Barbra Streisand, Joni Mitchell, Natalie Cole, Yo-Yo Ma, Quincy Jones, Caterina Valente, Oliver Nelson, Thad Jones, Melanie, Joe Beck, Henry Mancini, clarinetist Eddie Daniels, jazz bassist Red Mitchell, and violinist Yue Deng. Kellaway is perhaps best known for his Cello Quartet recordings in the 1970s...Not forgetting The Singers Unlimited. In 1964 Kellaway recorded Happiness for Impulse! with the Russian Jazz Quartet, a group also featuring Grady Tate and Boris Midney, the arranger for USA European Connection. For the TV sitcom All in the Family (later known as Archie Bunker's Place), Kellaway wrote and played the closing theme — "Remembering You". On November 07 and 08, 2008 Kellaway served as band leader and pianist during the Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl concerts by Van Morrison celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the acclaimed album that was released in November 1968. Featured also is guitarist Jay Berliner who was one of the original musicians. (2) A virtuosic pianist whose phenomenal technique rivals Dick Hyman's, Roger Kellaway's work in commercial settings prior to the 1980s led to him being initially overlooked in the jazz world. He played piano and bass at the New England Conservatory (1957-1959) and actually left school to play bass with Jimmy McPartland. Switching permanently to piano, Kellaway picked up experience working with Kai Winding, Al Cohn/Zoot Sims, and Clark Terry/Bob Brookmeyer (1963-1965). He recorded with many players, including Ben Webster, Maynard Ferguson, Wes Montgomery, and Sonny Rollins, and in 1966 moved to Los Angeles where he played with Don Ellis' innovative orchestra. Kellaway became Bobby Darin's musical director, worked in the studios (his piano is heard playing the theme of All in the Family), wrote film scores, experimented with electric keyboards, played with Tom Scott, and recorded with his popular (but mostly non-jazz) Cello Quartet. Although he gigged locally with Zoot Sims and Harry "Sweets" Edison, it was not until the mid-'80s that Kellaway started playing jazz nearly full-time. His many records since then (for Concord, All Art, Stash, and Chiaroscuro) attest to his impressive talents. ~ Scott Yanow

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