Mike and Karin Kelleher’s debut album Mélange is a beautiful work of art. The composer/vocalist Mike and his classical violinist wife Karin combine their talents to create this unique blend of jazz and classical music. The former White House Director of Correspondence and his wife met in college, where she played in a string quartet in a concert performing Beatles songs arranged by her future husband, Mike. Now residing Waldorf, the Kellehers show us how their beautiful Mélange (French for mix or blend) of musical styles can be.

Beautiful Pain is perfectly titled. The song itself is one of heartbreak, but the violin and soft drums combined with Mike’s strong voice make it a smooth and sweet song. The upbeat Jeannot is a fun song to listen to, particularly because of the lively violins and the energy in Mike’s voice. Ancka’s Dolphin Dance is a beautiful song that has a theme of innocence and childlike wonder combined with the sweetness of the violin. “Black is the Color” is a traditional folk song given a jazzy twist, yet still keeping some if its traditional theme.

Chantez Les Brahms is a sweet melody. In some ways, you might say it’s a love song for New Orleans. The instrumental Giga is a dazzling mix of classical and jazz. Originally written by The Beatles’ George Harrison, Something pays homage to its legendary musician while giving it a jazz and classical remake. Moonlight (Moon Dreams) is a song of heartbreak, yet the violin and softly played drums make it seems so sweet and romantic to listen to. Claire De Lune is softly played with an air of romance to it.

One Perfect Day tells of the struggles of a young couple. Kyrieousity is a sweetly performed rendition of the traditional Will the Circle be Unbroken. The violins were perfectly timed in the song. While the guitar and violin give “My Love Isn’t” its beauty and warmth, the song itself is one of loss.

There are so many things I love about this album. I love jazz and classical music, so I was excited to listen to this album. Not only that, a husband and wife teaming up together to make such beautiful music is heartwarming to me. I loved how Mike and Karin combined their talents. His vocals and her violin could make any song beautiful.

Final Grade: A

About The Author

Lauren Beverly

Music Reviewer

I love to write and have been doing so since the age of eight. Fictional stories have always been a favorite of mine, because it gives me a chance to be creative and to express myself in a multitude of ways. On more than one occasion, a song proved to be the inspiration to several stories I have written. Believe it or not, some of those songs were on soundtracks! That’s mostly what I listen to, aside from hits from the 1950’s up to the 1980’s. I’ve learned that anything can be the inspiration to a story, even a poster from the 1990’s or a DVD cover.

I’ve lived in Upper Marlboro all of my life and spent much of my childhood watching cartoons of all kinds, and listening to my older sister’s cassette tapes. Growing up, I listened to everything Jackson related, Paula Abdul, Elton John, and even the controversial group Milli Vanilli. As a teenager, I continued to listen to old-school hits and that was pretty much all I liked, aside from listening to all of Michael Jackson’s music. To this day, I still love old-school hits. That hasn’t changed.

I own a variety of CDs from artists such as Styx, The BeeGees, Michael Jackson, Queen, The Yellow Submarine Soundtrack, and many others. When a soundtrack comes out, there will always be one specific song from that album that I’ll love. It never fails.

I’ve graduated from Bowie State University in December 2013 with a B.A. degree in English.

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