Roger Kellaway (piano); Bruce Forman (guitar); Dan Lutz (bass).
(Review by Lance).
So far this week I've received 24 CDs for review. This is on top of maybe another 30 looking hopefully up at me like hungry kittens waiting to be fed. How does one make a choice from such a plethora of (maybe) riches? It is difficult. However, if included in the mix is an album by Roger Kellaway then all bets are off!
Recorded live at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles - a venue Roger seems to like - watch this space* - the 80 year old pianist delivers the goods like few pianists in the history of jazz have ever done. OK, maybe an exaggeration but only a slight one.
The opening track, Monk's 52nd Street Theme, is taken at such a lick that, had this been an LP I'd have been checking the turntable to make sure I didn't have it on 45 instead of 33! Yes it's fast but no mere Czerny exercise applied to jazz this is the real deal.
Have You Met Miss Jones? An out of tempo formal introduction soon mellows into a medium swing. Miss Jones has had many suitors since Rodgers and Hart introduced her to Broadway in 1937 and, not surprisingly, many men have no doubt exchanged blows over her. Kellaway and Forman battle it out musically just as Les Paul and Nat Cole did at a legendary JATP concert back in '44 albeit not over Jonesy.
Doxy. If I had to choose but one track from the seven this would be it although it would be a close call. What edges it for me are the block chord passages - big fat ones!
Take Five may seem an odd choice sans saxophone but it swings.
Take the A Train is slow. Glenn Miller used to play it at this tempo - Kellaway does it better.
Night and Day - this is the one - who needs the beat beat beat of the tom tom? These three guys don't need drums to make you tap your feet. The rhythm is there reaching out.
Finally Caravan ignores the speed limit - and the crowd love it - and so do I!
Kellaway is superb as are his confreres Forman and Lutz, together the three bring to mind the Nat Cole Trio and the early Oscar Peterson threesomes. Tremendous!
Release date is Nov. 1 on IPO Recordings label.
Lance.
* Next CD review, Kellaway as accompanist to Anne Phillips - Live @ the Jazz Bakery
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