Don't let the title mislead you. This is not music to nod off to sitting by the fire. The quartet co-led by bassist Paul Keller and Cary Kocher has worked together as a unit for many years, performing regularly at the Bird of Paradise in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Tuesday nights, and while these four musicians are as comfortable playing together as a pair of old slippers, there the metaphor ends. The music is crisp, clear-eyed and very much alert and awake. This is fresh and refreshing mainstream jazz, well conceived and well executed.

"... this is a tight-working band... these are four modern jazz musicians who can play be-bop with the best but who have a strong love for the older elements of the tradition."

Deborah Pohrt
Ann Arbor Observer

More about the Keller Kocher Quartet

There is something inherently refreshing about the sound of piano and vibes together, like the sound of clear water splashing over rock, which even when it soothes the nerves it awakens the senses. That freshness and clarity of sound is much in evidence on this CD. In the front line of Cary Kocher and Phil Kelly, there is a sparkling vitality. The playing is crisp, spare and uncluttered, every note counts, and there is no wasted motion. You will be delighted with the inventiveness and logic of their playing.

Detroit Jazz Monthly, June 1996

The Keller/Kocher Quartet: four musicians who bring together experience, compatibility, creativity, and tradition. You don't actually need a pipe, slippers or other standard accessories to enjoy their music, just a desire to listen to some jazz that's easy to like.

George Klein
WEMU 89.1 FM