ROGER
KELLAWAY
I Was There
IPO
Recordings
Roger Kellaway was indeed there, as in there
with Bobby Darin in the late 1960s as the singer made his
transition from teeny bop pop star to swingin’ supper
club crooner. Kellaway served as Darin’s pianist and
musical director, and here he presents a solo piano recital
of songs associated with Darin in that period. Listening
to the performances of incredibly high quality on this disc,
no one can fail to hear that Kellaway is a master pianist
who has the ability to play a huge variety of musical styles
convincingly and to move effortlessly between them.
I Was There was inspired, no doubt, by Kellaway’s
recent gig as vocal coach to Kevin Spacey for his portrayal
of Darin in the biopic Beyond the Sea. No matter the reason,
it is a top-notch performance by an under recorded major
artist. And the song selection here is impeccable: eleven
jewels from the golden ages of American songwriting, two
Leslie Bricusse tunes written for Dr. Doolittle, and a Kellaway
original. “Beyond the Sea” gets things to a
rousing start, swinging with elegance and offering a hint
of the stride style of which Kellaway is one of the few
living masters left. “Charade” works up a powerful
maelstrom of pianistic energy while “My Buddy”
becomes a languid, bluesy soliloquy. “Just In Time”
develops into a stride romp and should help scuttle the
notion that youngsters like Peter Cincotti and Jamie Cullum
invented energetic jazz-influenced pop piano. But unlike
those performers, Kellaway is so deeply rooted in jazz influences
that he can toss in references to Basie big band arrangements
or play with counterpoint like the best big band arrangers.
There’s more than a little Oscar Peterson
influence at work here as well, which would seem to be inevitable
for any pianist seeking to marry a dizzying array of styles
from early New Orleans jazz to the most modern chord voicings—that’s
readily apparent on the showstopping interpretation of Irving
Berlin’s “All By Myself.” Kellaway never
allows his own voice to be subsumed, though, and his takes
on tunes that are somewhat on the overplayed side (particularly
by pianists), such as “The Shadow of Your Smile”
and “My Funny Valentine” will hold the interest
of even the most jaded listener.
The only clinker here is the final track,
on which Kellaway accompanies himself while singing Bricusse’s
“Something In Your Smile.” Kellaway’s
vocal simply didn’t work for me, but if he wants to
sing a song I’ll gladly grant him that indulgence.
I Was There is a classic solo piano album, and one that
piano devotees will definitely want to own. The album’s
production, overall sound quality and packaging are all
done with class, which perfectly matches the approach of
a class act like Kellaway.
