Search - Roger Kellaway, Gene Bertoncini, Michael Moore :: Roger Kellaway Meets The Duo Gene Bertoncini * Michael Moore

Not the Cello Quartet, but still essential Kellaway

Robert English | Independence, OR USA | 05/20/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you like mellow jazz of the Brubeck/MJQ sort and want to listen to something beyond the ordinary, you'll be pleasantly entertained by what's here.This is a relatively new disc for Kellaway - he and the "Duo" recorded this digitally in 1995, and as a result the sonic quality is superb. Those expecting the fantastic chemistry of the Cello Quartet of the 70's be forewarned - though these guys do have great musical comraderie the chemistry is very different from the old group. There is no drummer (Roger explains his difficulty in finding a suitable one in the liner notes), and the presence of a guitar on many of these tracks is also a slight departure. As a result of all this, the "soul" on these recordings is different, but it is still as light-hearted and listenable (and as off-the-wall in spots) as any of Roger's best work. The compositions are wonderfully strange and delivered with tender subtlety.For those who don't know about Roger's earlier works: the Cello Quartet was Kellaway's musical experiment of the early 70's, and the results were creative and intriguing. What Paul Desmond's alto sax was to Brubeck's piano, Edgar Lustgarden's cello was to Kellaway's. The supporting bass and percussion were brilliantly understated. In much the same way as the Modern Jazz Quartet, the ensemble blend had to be heard to be believed. If you like what you hear on this collection, know that there is a much larger body of work to explore that will thrill you at least as much as this."