This recording of Roger Kellaway and quintet was made live over four nights at The Jazz Standard in New York, Kellaway’s drummer-less band approximates Nat King Cole’s piano, bass, guitar trios of the 1960s. Kellaway is accompanied by guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Jay Leonhart, both veterans of the New York City jazz scene. Add vibraphonist Stefon Harris to the mix and the core trio becomes a facile swinging quartet. Cellist Borislav Strulev also shows up with a spotlight on the sole Kellaway composition of the set “All My Life.”

The two discs contain 13 tracks, totaling about two hours of solid, mostly traditional jazz, with a number of familiar standards. One of the highlights is “Cottontail,” which gives Kellaway the opportunity to pay tribute to the Duke, while also showcasing Harris on vibes and Malone’s guitar play.

“It was stupendous. Everybody in the band was smoking.” – Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal

An outstanding two-CD collection that you shouldn’t miss out on.

rogerkellaway.com

Born in Brasília, Brazil in 1971, Leonardo E.M. Cioglia studied music from an early age and picked up the acoustic bass around the age of sixteen. Just two years later, he won a scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston and graduated four years later with a degree in Professional Music. He later picked up a Masters Degree in Visual and Media Arts from Emerson College.

Cioglia has enlisted some of the finest jazz musicians of his generation including saxophonist John Ellis, vibist Stefon Harris, guitarist Mike Moreno, pianist Aaron Goldberg and drummer Antonio Sanchez to bring to life his debut offering Contos. Fusing the traditional Brazilian styles of his home country with the best of modern American Jazz Cioglia has given the listener not only a pleasing listening experience, but an engaging example of great interplay between musicians.

Cioglia has written all 10 tracks of Contos, and then had the forsight to allow each sideman to bring his best to each individual track. Be it Moreno’s flowing single lines, the rim shots of Sanchez, or Goldberg on keys, this is one definitly worth checking out.

Check out leonardocioglia.com