Bobby Darin, Roger Kellaway and Me…

The Roger Kellaway Trio (1965) signed by Roger
I began classical piano lessons at age seven. This continued until I was eighteen. However, around age eleven, I discovered George Shearing's arrangement of "I’ll Remember April"(1949). For about two years, Shearing's "I'll Remember April" became my favorite performance piece, along with classical recitals. When I was twelve, I decided that music would be my life’s work, and my interest in jazz began to grow. Shearing was followed by pianists Billy Taylor and Oscar Peterson. Meanwhile, an interest in early jazz was forming. Fats Waller became my hero. So at this point, my musical world revolved around classical music, early jazz (mostly Dixieland), modern jazz, big band music and symphonic works, mostly by Bach and Stravinsky.
Roger Kellaway

Stride! (1966) signed by Roger
Well, there was a colorful happening in the buffet food line. The house was on Mullholland Drive in Los Angeles. It was all white and BD (Bobby Darin) referred to it as the "White Womb." My wife, Jorjana and I were outside on the front lawn under a tree. In front of me was Groucho Marx! I looked at him, and, in my best W.C.Fields accent said, "What is your pleasure, sir?" Without batting an eyelash, he jumped up grabbing a branch of the tree scratched himself like a monkey and said to me, "My pleasure is f*#king, but right now, I think I'll get something to eat!" BD and I laughed hysterically when I recounted the story to him later in the evening.
Roger Kellaway at Bobby Darin's house party in 1968

***The Bobby Darin Story (1961) signed by Roger***

The Bobby Darin Story (1961) signed by Roger
My first arranging assignment came in his office on Vine Street, in Hollywood [actually the old Steve Allen office]. It was a Thursday -- we were opening at the Flamingo in Las Vegas the following Tuesday. He was looking very imposing, sitting behind his desk on what I called his "Throne" chair (the back was about six foot high). He looked at me, snapping his fingers in a swing tempo and said, "Roger, check the files for an arrangement that goes like ..." and he started to sing, "The Shadow Of Your Smile" with a particular beat. I checked the files and returned to him and said, "I'm sorry Mr. Darin, there's no arrangement in the files of "The Shadow Of Your Smile" that goes like ... and I snapped my fingers and sang back to him the song in the same way, with the same beat that he previously sang to me. But before I could finish, he cut me off saying, "Well, there will be by next Tuesday, won't there!?" He was intense about what he wanted -- and when he wanted it -- you had to be alert, and deliver!
Roger Kellaway

***Bobby Darin Sings Doctor Doolittle (1967) signed by Roger and Tom Scott***

Bobby Darin Sings Dr. Doolittle (1967) signed by Roger, Tom Scott

Our best time together was when I arranged and conducted, Bobby Darin Sings Dr. Doolittle. Singers who are blessed with the ability to sing the American Songbook and swing cannot escape the influence of Bobby Darin. I include Lady Gaga and reference her duets with Tony Bennett as an example. One night, at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, "Bob Darin" was performing folk songs with just his guitar. He wore jeans and a jeans jacket and funky shoes with no laces. But when his shirtsleeve showed, it was monogrammed "BD." He thought about every detail of his life, but back then he hadn’t quite made the whole transition to Bob Darin yet.

Roger Kellaway

Born in Waban, one of the thirteen villages that comprise Newton, Massachusetts, and educated at the New England Conservatory Of Music, Roger Kellaway is a Grammy award winning jazz pianist and a noted film score composer with twenty-nine total film credits including Breathless, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, and his latest, Invictus, a film by his long time friend, fellow music enthusiast and erstwhile jazz pianist Clint Eastwood. Roger also earned an Academy Award nomination for A Star Is Born (starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson), and he has scored a ballet for George Balanchine and the New York City Ballet, orchestral pieces for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The National Symphony, and The New York Philharmonic under conductor Zubin Mehta.

Roger Kellaway Cello Quartet (1971) signed by Roger

Though relatively unknown, Roger has performed on over two-hundred-fifty albums in his enduring career, a discography which includes Carmen McRae's I Am Music, Elvis Presley's Let's Be Friends, Sonny Rollins' Alfie, Stephane Grappelli and Yo Yo Ma's Anything Goes,and Van Morrison's Astral Weeks: Live At The Hollywood Bowl. He has also performed and recorded with artists as diverse as blues masters Jimmy Witherspoon and Charles Brown, songwriting genius Joni Mitchell, Woodstock folk icon Melanie, and Beatle George Harrison. Perhaps, Roger's most familiar composition is "Remembering You", the closing theme which he wrote for the hit TV show All In The Family, an instrumental piano track to which Carroll O'Connor later appended lyrics (and received a co-writing credit!). Right now, somewhere in the world, the lilting keys of Roger Kellaway are being heard as a fitting coda to yet another rerun of All In The Family.

***Spirit Feel (1967) signed by Roger and Tom Scott***

Spirit Feel (1967) signed by Roger, Tom Scott

Roger went to high school in Newton and, as told me after a recent performance, "We had everything there: orchestra, jazz band, big band, marching band. I mean, it was serious. We used to play the Bach Brandenburg Concertos, and I wasn't even playing piano then. My first instrument was the double bass." Indeed, when Roger enrolled at The New England Conservatory Of Music, he studied bass, composition and piano, and he left after three years to join Jimmy McPartland's band in New York City as a bass player. Within a couple of years, Roger devoted himself to the piano and recorded albums with Ben Webster, Bob Brookmeyer, Clark Terry, and Wes Montgomery, all giants in Jazz. In the mid-1960s, Roger moved to Los Angeles to continue performing studio work and working on film scores. He also formed a close bond with Bobby Darin, and became his musical director and pianist for three years.

Creation (1984) signed by Roger, Houston Person

Despite his wide ranging interests and film score responsibilities, Roger has also released some terrific jazz albums over the past fifty years. I saw him recently at the Kitano Hotel in New York City and he had stellar accompanists: Jay Leonhart on bass, Roni Ben-Hur on guitar, and David Silliman on drums. The Kitano is a stylish Japanese hotel on Park Avenue with a jazz listening room just off the lobby on the first floor with seats for maybe sixty patrons. Everything is polished with a high gloss veneer and. though the hotel art work and furniture seem a bit industrial and sterile, the sight lines and acoustics are superb.

The Swing’s To TV (1958) signed by Roger

Roger took to the stage and introduced the first selection, "Good evening and welcome. As some of you know, I played with (bassist) Red Mitchell for eight years. This is a song we used to play together, although if you knew Red, the title should have been, "Have You Met My Jones?!" A very bright and bouncy "Have You Met Miss Jones?" followed with each musician taking some tasty solos. Next up was a gorgeous version of "Once Upon A Time", a haunting ballad written by Broadway auteur Charles Strouse of Annie and Bye Bye Birdie fame. Despite the book by Mel Brooks and lyrics by Lee Adams, Strouse's show, All American was not a hit, but "Once Upon A Time" has become a standard sung by Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra and, my favorite, The Four Tops - Levi Stubbs doesn't just sing, he dominates! Interestingly, Charles Strouse also wrote "Those Were The Days", the opening theme to All In The Family, with the annoying, braying vocal by Edith (Jean Stapleton) and Archie (Carroll O'Connor) Next, Roger asked for the audience's indulgence: " As a pianist, arranger and composer, I get asked to play a lot of songs for all sorts of people. It is always something, always a song for someone. The song I'm going to play next is for me, and only me. It comes from Brigadoon, it's called "The Heather On The Hill." I hope you like it." Eight minutes of solo piano artistry, virtuosity and bliss followed as Roger held the crowd spellbound in his dazzling hands. I felt as though I were Gene Kelly swooping and swooning in the beguiling Scottish highlands of Brigadoon chasing the comely villager Cyd Charisse. Or maybe not.

Fifty/Fifty (1987) signed by Roger

The encore was a jaunty version of "Just Friends", a standard from 1931 which has been covered by everyone from Billie Holiday to Frank Sinatra, Chet Baker to John Coltrane. Roger and his band were joined by Paquito D'Rivera, the Cuban expatriate and clarinet/saxophone wonder and it was thrilling to see two old friends blowin' with the band swinging. There were glowing smiles on and off the stage when they finished this spirited romp. After the show, the musicians gravitated (unsurprisingly!) to the bar, where I lay in wait for my quarry. I thanked bassist Jay Leonhart for his musicianship and I mentioned that I used to see him a lot at Bradley's, a piano bar in Greenwich Village, with Kenny Barron or George Cables. "Yes, Thank you, that was a wonderful club." I asked, "Whatever happened to the grand piano which ]was donated by Paul Desmond?' "You know, I'm not sure. I believe it was sold when the bar closed. In those days, it was not that big a deal, it was just a piano!" I was incredulous, 'Some piano, "Take Five" was probably written on it.' "Yeah, you're right. But you know who used to come in all the time when I was playing there? Charles Mingus. He never sat in, he just wanted to hang out. He had a bit of a difficult reputation, but I never saw it, he was always nice to me. He was a really nice guy." That was nice to hear from Jay, for sure.

Just Friends (1980) signed by Roger, Harry “Sweets” Edison

Now, it was time to speak with Roger. He was chatting with Paquito D'Rivera when I approached him. I thanked them both for their bravura performances and handed Roger the Just Friends album signed by Harry "Sweets" Edison. "Oh, I love 'Sweets', what a marvelous trumpet and he was a nicer man." He grabbed Paquito by the arm and said, "Listen, the groove that (bassist) John Heard and (drummer) Jimmie Smith get in on these two songs - "Just Friends" and "Blue Skies" - is just incredible. They are so in the pocket, I'm telling you, Paquito, I've never heard anything like it." Roger was on a roll, I was a believer, and Paquito not so much, he just shrugged, "I'll have to check it out," as he walked away. Next, I handed Roger a couple of Bobby Darin albums. Roger was very thoughtful as he looked at the Darin vinyl. "This is where it all started for me. I was with Bobby for three years as his arranger and conductor. He was so much more than just a singer. I learned so much from him, his timing and phrasing, he had it all and he was a phenomenal musician. I learned everything from him. You know, when I joined him, he told me, 'I want your eyes on me at all times.' I said, 'Well, how am I going to do that? and conduct the band? and play piano?' He said, "I don't know, that's your problem.' "

That’s All (1959) signed by Roger

Roger was impressed with my vinyl, but he couldn't resist a suggestion, "I'll tell you a great album you should find, Bobby Darin Sings Doctor Doolittle. We were the first to record those songs, before Sammy Davis Jr., before everyone. Bobby gave me the songs, the instrumentation, the arrangements, and he told me, "We're in the studio in three weeks. Here's everything you need, all you need to figure out is the keys!" So that's what I did, but it's not easy recording a thirty-five piece orchestra with only four tracks. In those days, we had one track for his vocal and other three tracks for the rest for the orchestra. It was difficult and challenging, but we figured it out." Yes, they did.

California Dreamin’ (1966) signed by Roger

I asked Roger if he knew that Bobby was ill, and did he ever talk about it? "Yes, of course. Bobby had rheumatic fever as a child, his health was ravaged and his heart was weakened. He always said that he would not live past thirty. That was always in his mind. He made it to what? Thirty-five? Thirty-six? Just tragic, he was such a great musician." How 'bout these Bud Shank albums? I said brightly, looking to change the mood. Roger laughed as he looked at California Dreamin', a beautiful blond staring dreamily ahead on the cover. "Yes, what exactly does she have to do with Bud Shank? Or his music?!" he said slyly, dripping with sarcasm. Feel free to sign it wherever you want, I counseled. "Yes, I have a couple of places in mind," Roger allowed with an impish grin. Tell me about your influences? "George Shearing. He was a big influence. Then, there are so many, Art Tatum, Billy Taylor, Oscar Peterson, Fats Waller..." Bill Evans? "No, I don't think so, I never thought of him as an influence." How about Kenny Burrell? Do you ever see him? "No, it's been a long time. Kenny's very busy at the UCLA School of Music." I thanked Roger again for his time, insights, and especially the music.

Guitar Forms (1965) signed by Roger

Bill Crow, acclaimed jazz bassist, said it best, "Roger amazed us all. Blessed with great technique, he could play any style, from ragtime to space music. Whatever style he chose to play at the moment would be filled with wonderful surprises that kept the rest of us continually delighted."
Roger Kellaway, a prodigious piano and composing talent, and a real delight.

Atlantic Jazz Piano (1986) signed by Dave Brubeck, Ray Bryant, Kenny Barron, Tommy Flanagan, Sir Roland Hanna, Barry Harris, Hank Jones, Junior Mance, Brad Mehldau, Dwike Mitchell, Andre Previn, Horace Silver, Billy Taylor, McCoy Tyner, Chucho Valdes

***Atlantic Jazz Piano back cover signed by Roger, Monty Alexander, Harold Mabern, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Randy Weston***

Atlantic Jazz Piano (1986) signed by Roger, Harold Mabern, Randy Weston, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Monty Alexander, Dave Brubeck, Tommy Flanagan, Horace Silver, Andre Previn, Brad Mehldau, Ray Bryant, Junior Mance, Billy Taylor, Hank Jones, Kenny Barron, Chucho Valdes, Dwike Mitchell, McCoy Tyner, Barry Harris, Sir Roland Hanna

Choice Roger Kellaway Cuts (per BK's request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB0kKAPYJPI
"The Heather On The Hill" Brigadoon Gene Kelly swoons Cyd Charisse! 1954

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYbAyukVpHM
“Once Upon A Time" Live with Bobby and Roger 1966
"Do it again, Roger while I catch a breath...one more time please." The understated genius of Bobby Darin!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwnZ0BePSQo

“Beyond The Sea" I Was There: Roger Kellaway Plays The Bobby Darin Songbook 2004

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnWbT66VQn

"Remembering You" closing theme to All In The Family - lyrics by Carroll O'Connor, music by Roger Kellaway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktIxICuEN3E
"Once Upon A Time" Remembering Bobby Darin Roger swings Bobby! 2005

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVeng9YYGwU
"Once Upon A Time" Yesterday's Dreams The Four Tops 1968

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiGFZUnJgqU
"Mack The Knife" Bobby Darin Live 1970

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PZgx5BJaL0
"The Shadow Of Your Smile" I Was There: Roger Kellaway Plays From The Bobby Darin Songbook 2004

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NFNjQlABjo
"My One And Only Love" Live 1998

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7IXTJBqLqc
"Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" A Jazz Portrait Of Roger Kellaway (with Jim Hall) 1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW2aDwXO7Dg
“Alfie's Theme" Sonny Rollins with Kenny Burrell on guitar, Roger on piano 1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HoetUhlMsk
"The Heather On The Hill" Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner & Loewe 1957

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o0Mt8SBYUs
Zoot Sims Quartet featuring Roger Kellaway Live at Donte's Los Angeles 1970 - swingin' Los Angeles hipsters!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tycxJmbsr2Q
"Closing Theme" All In The Family (with TV credits) 1971

***Previously Unreleased Recordings (1973) signed by Roger, Clark Terry, Bob Brookmeyer***

Previously Unreleased Recordings (1961 recordings, 1974 release) signed by Roger, Clark Terry, Bob Brookmeyer

***Clark Terry- Bobby Brookmeyer Quintet (1964) signed by Roger, Clark Terry, Bob Brookmeyer***

Clark Terry-Bob Brookmeyer Quintet (1965) signed by Roger, Bob Brookmeyer, Clark Terry

Let It Be (1970) signed by Roger

See You At The Fair (1964) signed by Roger