Daddio Don

Over the years, Scandinavia has attracted a lot of American jazzmen. Some actually lived there temporarily (including Dexter Gordon and Stan Getz), while others have played or recorded there frequently. It was during a visit to Copenhagen in March 1999 that American bop pianist Roger Kellaway was hired to play on Daddio Don, a trio date led by Danish bassist Mads Vinding. Alex Riel, another Dane, is on drums; so on this CD, you have a piano trio that is one-third American and two-thirds Scandinavian. The players are in good form throughout the album, embracing well-known standards along with a few Kellaway originals. Few surprises occur: Irving Berlin's "How Deep Is the Ocean," Duke Ellington's "Just Squeeze Me," Miles Davis' "Blue in Green," and Thad Jones' "A Child Is Born" are standards that jazz fans have heard time and time again. The trio could have been more adventurous and less conventional in its choice of material, but even so, Kellaway gets high marks for playing so well. True to form, the pianist is as swinging as he is lyrical, and he enjoys a strong rapport with his Scandinavian associates throughout this Danish album.