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Howard Riley: 10.11.12
by John Sharpe
English pianist Howard Riley has found a late career champion in the Lithuanian No Business imprint. 10:11:12 constitutes his fourth release in as many years. In the liner to his previous album Live With Repertoire (2013), the pianist explained that he likes to characterize his gigs into with/without repertoire. As such this outing falls mainly into the latter camp, comprising as it does five inventions and a standard. Over the decades Riley has shown himself to be a master of ...
Continue ReadingHoward Riley: Discussions
by Roger Farbey
The reissue on CD of Howard Riley's Discussions is to be welcomed, since it only ever saw a highly limited pressing of 99 copies when first released on the Opportunity label in 1967. It is also an important historical artefact because it provides a tangible clue as to how Riley progressed, via the foresight of David Howells at CBS, to record two outstanding albums Angle and The Day Will Come for that label. The sound quality on Discussions is not ...
Continue ReadingHoward Riley: To Be Continued
by Maurizio Zerbo
Il settantenne pianista britannico torna ad incidere dopo tre anni di silenzio discografico. Come era lecito aspettarsi, il nuovo disco è un'opera di non facile leggibilità nel suo libero fluire fra soluzioni monkiane ed eurocolte. Howard Riley produce una pulsazione densa di accenti, che lascia spazio all'aspetto percussivo del proprio strumento. Il suo fraseggio è sfuggente ed elusivo, capace di repentine variazioni melodiche. Lo si capisce dalla rilettura dello standard “The Folks Who Live on the ...
Continue ReadingHoward Riley: Live With Repertoire
by John Sharpe
British pianist Howard Riley's previous album on No Business, the monumental The Complete Short Stories: 1998-2010 (2011), was a revelation to many, collecting together 6 CDs of stunning aphoristic improvisations. However on Live With Repertoire, as the title suggests, the pianist concentrates primarily on the songbook, particularly Monk, one of his touchstones along with Ellington. In the liners Riley explains that his working method sees him treat a gig as either with or without repertoire, depending on audience, ambience and ...
Continue ReadingHoward Riley: Live with Repertoire
by Duncan Heining
Pianist Howard Riley turned 70 in February and belatedly celebrates the event with the release of a new CD, Live with Repertoire (NoBusiness Records). It's a really strong live, solo set of standards and a few original tunes recorded last year in Leicester and one that emphasises one particular aspect of his playing. Riley remains one of the most gifted interpreters of the jazz repertoire in Britain or beyond. The last few years have not been easy for ...
Continue ReadingHoward Riley: The Complete Short Stories 1998-2010
by John Sharpe
Howard RileyThe Complete Short Stories 1998-2010No Business Records2011 Veteran British pianist Howard Riley has found a champion from an unexpected source in the adventurous Lithuanian label, No Business. After issuing a double CD of the pianist's one man concert in the capital, Live In Vilnius (2010), it has gone further with a box set collecting a brace of previously released solo double disc sets along with a another two discs of ...
Continue ReadingHoward Riley: Five Decades in Music
by Maxim Micheliov
Howard Riley gave his performance in Vilnius, Lithuania in September, 2009. It was his first visit to the country in a five-decade career, and one of just a few eastern Europe destinations made at the time, by the British free jazz pianist. The concert was recorded and released in 2010 as the double-disc set, Solo in Vilnius, by No Business Records. All About Jazz: Describe your musical background. Howard Riley: I was born in 1943 ...
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