Album title: "To Be Continued"
Catalogue: SLAMCD 293
Track details/titles:
1. To Be Continued..................................... 6'23"
2. East West.................................................. 4'51"
3. Just Maybe................................................ 6'35"
4. Two Part Intention................................... 8'48"
5. The Folks Who Live on The Hill............ 7'08"
6. Solving The Problem.............................. 4'21"
7. Descending Thoughts............................ 5'21"
8. Haunted.................................................... 7'36"
9. One More Thing....................................... 3'04"
All compositions by Howard Riley (PRS/MCPS), except for Track 5 by J. Kern/O. Hammerstein II.
Recording date/location: 19th June 2013 at Porcupine Studios, London.
Engineer: Nick Taylor
Cover/artwork and photos: Irmgard Hûppe
Sleeve-note for CD:
For the performer, studio and live recordings require different mindsets. Theoretically the former gives unlimited possibilities for re-takes; with the latter, you play and that's it. They demand different disciplines.
This recording is my first in a studio for three years. The Lithuanian label NoBusiness has released live recordings during that period, so when SLAM suggested a studio date I was happy to accept. Conceptually I decided to simply let the recording reflect my current musical situation, which in turn led me to the album title. In recent years specific projects have become fashionable, but for me the most rewarding project has always been the long-term development of musical identity.
Finally many thanks to Nick Taylor for his engineering skills, to Irmgard Hûppe for her artwork and to George Haslam for providing this recording opportunity.
Howard Riley
June 2013
Fra i veterani della musica inglese c´è il pianista Howard Riley, arrivato ai settanta anni con la voglia di
suonare e esprimere in musica tutto quello che ha dentro. Come dice l´età è stato fra i pionieri del jazz in
patria ed ha lasciato una serie di dischi nel corso della sua carriera che ormai sono storia. La NoBusiness,
casa discografica lituana, ha ripubblicato del suo materialeinsieme a delle registrazioni live più recenti.
L´idea di ritornare in studio è spuntata invece insieme a George Haslam, il sassofonista che dirige la SLAM
Productions Di recente ha avuto problemi di salute e questa registrazione permette di ascoltarlo in forma ad
eseguire sue composizioni ed uno standard, The Folks Who Live On the Hill di Jerome Kern, un ottimo piano
solo con tutte quelle caratteristiche che distinguono un musicista con una forte personalità, riconoscibile,
con un suo stile. Sono dei brani vicini a quelli monkiani nella loro essenzialità, ricchi di armonie ed esecuzioni
che ricercanoil gioco di colori, il chiaroscuro tra piano e forte, fra velocità elentezza, ballad ricche i feeling ma
che non scadono mai verso le atmosfere da piano bar. Riley fa un monumento a sé stesso, così come alcuni anni
fa ha fatto Franco D´Andrea con le sue numerose esecuzioni in solo ed in trio,ed invita ad ascoltarlo, ricco com´è
di esperienza e di tante cose da raccontare.
Vittorio Lo Conte http://www.musiczoom.it/?p=18694
TRANSLATION
Among the veterans of British music is the pianist Howard Riley, Came to the seventy years with the desire to play music and express everything that's inside. as the saying the age was one of the pioneers of jazz at home and left a series of records during his career that is now history . the Lithuanian record label NoBusiness has republished his material along with some more recent live recordings . The idea of returning to the studio is checked instead with George Haslam , saxophonist who directs the SLAM Productions.
He recently had health problems and this allows recording hear it in shape to perform his own compositions and one standard, The Folks Who Live On the Hill by Jerome Kern, an excellent piano solo with all those characteristics that distinguish a musician with a strong personality, recognizable , with his own style . They are close to those tracks monkiani in their essence , rich harmonies and executions looking the play of colors , chiaroscuro between piano and forte, between fast and slow , ballad -rich but the feeling that never expires towards the atmosphere from floor bar. Riley is a monument to himself , as well as a few years ago Franco D' Andrea did with its numerous solo and trio performances, and invites us to listen to it, it is rich in experience and so many things to tell.
HOWARD RILEY / To Be Continued... (Slam Productions)
Tiens, ça faisait un bail que je n'avais pas entendu du nouveau provenant de Howard Riley. Sur cet album studio,
le pianiste britannique développe des thèmes plutôt jazzés, avec autant de finesse que d'habitude mais moins de
véhémence. Un disque décontracté, qui n'a rien à prouver, mais qui n'apporte pas grand chose de neuf non plus.
Tout de même fort agréable et j'admets aimer depuis longtemps le jeu solo de Riley.
Hey, it had been a while since I've heard new music from Howard Riley. On this studio album, the English pianist develops
rather jazzy themes, displaying as much finesse as ever, but less vehemence. A relaxed album that has nothing to prove,
but also adds very little to Riley's output. Still quite enjoyable, and I admit to being found of Riley's solo playing since... a long time.
Francois Couture http://blog.monsieurdelire.com/2014/04/2014-03-31-howard-riley-omit-five.html
