Roger Kellaway's tribute to Bobby Darin, for whom he served as musical director in the late 1960s, is a spectacular solo piano outing featuring tunes that Roger played during his work with Darin.
JazzReview.com - But the value of I Was There, beyond the reminder that Kellaway worked with Bobby Darin, is the reminder that Roger Kellaway, at the age of 65, remains one of the busiest, but one of the most under-recognized jazz pianists of his generation. His technical complexity and mastery of his instrument is obvious throughout I Was There as he reinterprets Darin's music according to his own personality this time, instead to conform to Darin's. And IPO Recordings during its relatively short existence has proven once again that it values exceptional quality as it records underpromoted musician's musicians like Tom McIntosh and Sir Roland Hanna. I Was There fits into that description perfectly, and it's gratifying to hear Kellaway playing recorded jazz again. It took the release of another movie to bring the prolific and infinitely imaginative Kellaway to the public's attention again. |