Petra Haller / Meg Morley: Shoulders I Stand On

Having been recorded in November 2022 by Henning Svoren at Ocean Sound Studio in Giske, Norway, Shoulders I Stand On was originally released in May 2023 as a CD or download. March 2024 marked a further milestone in the album's history when it was released on blue vinyl as a limited edition twelve-inch LP, comprising the same tracks as the CD and bearing the same artwork. To add to the cosmopolitan flavour, the release features the London-based duo of Australian-born pianist Meg Morley and German-born dancer Petra Haller, the pair having been collaborating since before Covid-19.

Although Haller tap dances here, it would be inaccurate to label her a tap dancer as she dances in a diverse range of styles and contexts. Unsurprisingly, given her tap dancing, she is frequently mentioned in the same breath as the legendary tap dancer Will Gaines (1928-2014), who was a regular duo member with another legend, guitarist Derek Bailey (1930-2005). Gaines certainly established tap as a legitimate component of improvised music, and Haller continues the genre he championed.

Shoulders I Stand On is not Haller and Morley's first album together. On 9th September 2022 they recorded the 67-minute Live at St. Mary's (self-produced, 2022) with trumpeter Loz Speyer at the church of the title in Putney, London, and released it as a download. Excellent as that album is, Shoulders I Stand On just outdoes it. Right from the first note Morley creates a melodic soundscape which sounds tailor-made for Haller's tap, the two ideally complementing one another as equals. Thanks to Svoren, who mixed the album, the balance between the two players is perfect throughout. Maybe the most telling feature of the album is that the music is so mesmerising it is very easy to forget that one is listening to piano and tap dancing. One thing is certain, this will not be Haller and Morley's only duet album.