Rob Keeley: (b1960) Songs, Chimes and Dances Melinda Maxwell, oboe ~ Richard Watkins, horn - Andrew Sparling, clarinet Tim Holmes, saxophone - Jonathan Leathwood, guitar ~ Rob Keeley, piano Darragh Morgan, violin ~ Robin Michael, cello - Mary Dullea, piano NMC D179 • Rob Keeley was born in Bridgend in 1960.   He studied with Oliver Knussen at the Royal College of Music, Magdalen College Oxford under Bernard Rose, and later with Robert Saxton. • As a pianist Keeley has premiered works by, among others, Harrison Birtwistle, Michael Finnissy, Jonathan Cole, Richard Emsley and Nicola Moro. • He is currently Senior Lecturer in Composition at King's College, London • Keeley's music is jazz tinged with elements of Satie and Poulenc. Bayan Northcott writes … Rob Keeley is both a ‘natural’ as a composer, and a bit of an enigma.   While his music always unfolds lucidly, often engagingly, it resists easy categorization - at least accordingly to current critical notions.   Apparently untouched by avantgarderie, minimalism or post-modern poly-stylistics, it might seem to fall into a traditionalist slot or even be mistaken as academic.   Yet his music sounds singularly undriven by theory or the findings of analysis; nor will one so easily discover textbook sonata or fugal procedures in his works.   More frequently he generates his forms by flexible refrain-and-chorus procedures, and sometimes, the illusion of traditional thematicism from variable ostinato or change-ringing permutations - suggesting his omnivorous ear has absorbed more 'advanced' techniques, from Ligeti, perhaps, or Birtwistle, but in his own way. TRACK LISTING Music for Art and Tom     11'21 Tim Holmes saxophone - Rob Keeley piano Bells of Halkis     7'57 Rob Keeley piano Little Trio     5'20 Andrew Sparling clarinet - Robin Michael cello - Rob Keeley piano Two Ways of Looking at a Spider     10'30 Jonathan Leathwood guitar Trio for Horn, Violin and Piano     13'49 Richard Watkins horn - Darragh Morgan violin - Mary Dullea piano Songs, Chimes & Dances     10'45 Melinda Maxwell oboe - Rob Keeley piano Oregon Moods     12'01 Tim Holmes saxophone - Andrew Sparling clarinet - Rob Keeley piano NMC Recordings are distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading, P.O.Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone (03) 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile (03) 9444 6879