Buster Williams Featured on Eddie Daniels/Roger Kellaway Recording, “Just Friends”

Eddie Daniels & Roger Kellaway: Just Friends: Live at the Village VanguardResonance Records has unearthed another incredible performance with Just Friends: Live at the Village Vanguard by Eddie Daniels and Roger Kellaway. Recorded at the famed New York City jazz club in 1988, the never-before-heard recording was captured by label founder George Klabin during a week-long run.

“I just placed the mic on the table facing the band, hit ‘record’ and let it run. It was as simple as that,” Klabin writes in the liner notes. “The tape sat in my personal collection ever since I recorded it. Nearly three decades later, in 2016, I pulled it out and listened to it. Immediately I was transfixed again. I decided to send digital copies to Roger and Eddie for their enjoyment.”

The clarinetist and pianist are supported by the legendary rhythm section of bassist Buster Williams and drummer Al Foster. Together they tackle the standard “Just Friends” as well as four originals by Daniels and Kellaway. “Eddie Daniels is an incredible musician,” Williams says. “Playing with him, I realized that he was not only a master of the instrument – he is a master of conception. [This record] speaks of the times gone by, but at the same time its relevance is that it is just as new and fresh as something happening today.”

Whether walking or grooving, Williams keeps the band pushing forward with an exceptional feel. He also dishes out a thoughtful solo on the title track and some atmospheric arco work on “The Spice Man.” Get the scoop on the new album from Williams and the band leaders in this album EPK:

Just Friends: Live at the Village Vanguard is available now on CD and as a digital download (iTunes and Amazon MP3).

Just Friends: Live at the Village Vanguard Track List:

  1. Some O’ This and Some O’ That
  2. Reverie for a Rainy Day
  3. Wolfie’s Samba
  4. Just Friends
  5. The Spice Man

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