Roger Kellaway

Roger Kellaway (born November 1, 1939) is an American composer, arranger and jazz pianist^[1] who has recorded over 250 albums, and composed over 20 film scores ^[2]

Life and career

Kellaway was born in Waban, Massachusetts, United States.^[3] He is an alumnus of the New England Conservatory.^[3] 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.^[4] Kellaway was featured on Ilya Serov's original rendition of Django Reinhardt's song "Swing 42" in 2017.^[5]

Discography

As leader

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

• Just Friends with Harry Sweets Edison

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)

References

External links

• Roger Kellaway at IMDb
• Biography page on the Roger Kellaway website
• New England Conservatory page on Roger Kellaway
• RealAudio format sample of "Remembering You", 25 seconds
• Roger Kellaway featured on "Swing 42"
• Roger Kellaway live at Mezzrow Jazz Club 3rd May 2023
• Roger Kellaway interview 1979-12-10 at British Library

This page was last edited on 12 January 2024, at 00:41